Simla Agreement

Why in news?

• The Simla accord completes 50 years.

About Simla Agreement:

• On the day of 02 July 1972, Shimla Agreement was signed between Indira Gandhi and Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto at Shimla in Himachal Pradesh. Shimla Agreement is also known as Shimla Accord.
• It was signed 8 months after the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971 that led to the splitting of Pakistan and the consequent creation of Bangladesh had ended.
• The accord had contained the steps which were to be taken in order to ensure the normalisation of relations between India and Pakistan.
• The agreement was signed in Barnes Court (Raj Bhavan) at Shimla, Himachal Pradesh.

The terms of the treaty:

• The Charter of the UN shall govern relations between India and Pakistan.
• Any differences shall be settled by peaceful means and through bilateral negotiations.
• Both countries shall respect the territorial integrity of each other and not interfere in the internal matters of each other.
• Forces shall be withdrawn to each other’s side of the international border.
• The ceasefire line of December 17th 1971 (after the Bangladesh War) shall be respected (and reiterated as the Line of Control).

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Simla Agreement of 1972 was signed between India and which of the country?

(a) Pakistan

(b) Sri Lanka

(c) Russia

(d) Bangladesh

Answer