Pak Flag Removed From Desk Where Now-Suspended Simla Agreement Was Signed
2025-04-26T05:28:36Z
The glossy wooden table on which the Simla Agreement was signed is kept at the Kirti Hall in the Raj Bhawan in Shimla.
The Pakistani flag on the historic table at the Himachal Pradesh Raj Bhawan, on which the Simla Agreement was signed, has been removed – a day after Islamabad suspended the 1972 accord while trying to mirror India’s decisions over the Pahalgam terror attack.
The glossy wooden table on which the agreement was signed is kept at the Kirti Hall in the Raj Bhawan in Shimla. The desk is situated on an elevated red-coloured platform and has a plate that reads “Simla Agreement was signed here on 3-7-1972”. The area is cordoned off with brass railings.
While two chairs are kept behind the table, a photograph of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and the then Pakistan Prime Minister Zulfikar Bhutto signing the agreement has been kept on one side of the historical desk. Many photographs of the India-Pakistan Summit of 1972 hang on the wall behind the table.
Both India and Pakistan’s flags were kept on the table, however, only the Indian flag stands still now.
What is the Simla Agreement?
On December 16, 1971, over 90,000 Pakistani troops surrendered in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) following decisive battles fought on the eastern and western fronts over two weeks. This led to a ceasefire in the western sector too, resulting in the end of the war and Indian victory and the birth of Bangladesh.
The Simla Agreement was a peace treaty signed between Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Pakistan Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto on July 3, 1972. It aimed to “put an end to the conflict and confrontation that have hitherto marred their relations and work for the promotion of a friendly and harmonious relationship and the establishment of durable peace in the sub-continent”.
The Simla Agreement brought into existence the Line of Control, a boundary demarcating the positioning of the armies of both sides.
The agreement has been violated in the past by Pakistan.
Pakistan suspends Simla Agreement
Days after New Delhi took strict action against the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan stopped the Simla accord. Islamabad’s decision to “exercise its right to hold the Simla Agreement” came after over 50 years.
It said that any move to divert water meant for it under the Indus Water Treaty will be considered an “Act of War” as it announced the suspension of trade, bilateral accords, including the Simla Agreement, and airspaces with India. Pakistan also suspended all visas under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) issued to Indian nationals and deems them cancelled with immediate effect, except Sikh religious pilgrims.
Pahalgam terror attack, India’s measures
Twenty-six people, including one Nepali national, were killed and many others were injured as multiple terrorists descended on Baisaran Valley, known as “Mini Switzerland” – a tourist hotspot with rolling hills and verdant orchards – and opened fire on Tuesday. Eyewitnesses said that as the gunshots rang out, there was panic among the tourists who ran for cover. However, there was no place for them to hide in the wide, open space.
A massive hunt has been launched to track down the terrorists, with the Army, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Jammu and Kashmir police cordoning off the area.
Taking strict action, India decided to suspend the decades-old Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan indefinitely. With this, the water supply from the Indus River and its distributaries – the Jhelum and Chenab, may be diverted or stopped. Apart from this, the integrated check post Attari-Wagah border will be closed, and those Pakistani nationals who have crossed over with valid endorsements have been asked to return through the route before May 1. Pakistani nationals will also not be permitted to travel to India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) visas.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also vowed to “identify, track and punish” every terrorist and their “backers” who were behind the Pahalgam attack.
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