Pahalgam: Pakistan's retaliation to India's action puts deals on safe nuclear sites to minority rights at risk

First Post

25-04-2025

With Pakistan putting on hold all bilateral agreements with India in a so-called 'tit-for-tat' move, here are the key deals between Islamabad and New Delhi that are at risk of fading away read more
How pakistan's decision puts several bilateral agreements with India at risk of fading away. Representational Image
As India reels through the horrors of the Pahalgam attack, the country's diplomatic ties with Pakistan have reached an all-time low. The security measures from India prompted Pakistan to introduce counter-measures, which many claimed were a step too far.
Following an hour-long meeting of Pakistan's National Security Council, Islamabad imposed a plethora of restrictions on India and openly condemned New Delhi's decision to put the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance. One of those measures was Pakistan's decision to suspend all bilateral agreements with India.
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While Pakistan saw it as a power move, the country ignored the severity of suspending some crucial agreements with India. These bilateral agreements not only protected the civilians of both nations but also safeguarded the critical military and nuclear infrastructure of both India and Pakistan.
Here are some of the crucial bilateral agreements that will be affected by Pakistan's recent move:
The Delhi Pact
The agreement was signed by India's Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and his Pakistani counterpart Liaquat Ali Khan following a meeting in New Delhi in April 1950. As per the deal, India and Pakistan agreed that their government would protect the interests of minorities in their respective nations.
The agreement aimed to address the communal violence and large-scale displacement following the partition of India and Pakistan. Both governments agreed to hold each other accountable concerning the protection of minority rights.
Indus Water Treaty
The treaty was signed on September 19, 1960s and was brokered by the World Bank. It fixed and delimited the rights and obligations of the neighbouring countries regarding the use of the Indus River. The agreement was signed by Nehru and Pakistan's former President Ayub Khan following six years of talks on water sharing.
According to the treaty, the water of the western rivers — Indus, Jhelum and Chenab went to Pakistan and India was agreed to receive water from eastern rivers — Ravi, Beas and Sutlej. The treaty further required the creation of a Permanent Indus Commission, led by a commissioner from each country.
Following the Pahalgam attack, India put the deal in abeyance. While Pakistan complained that New Delhi could not unilaterally exit the treaty, with the latest move, even Islamabad has technically suspended the deal.
Simla Agreement
The agreement between the Government of India and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on Bilateral Relations, also known as the Simla Agreement, was signed in July 1972 between then-Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and her Pakistani counterpart Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
The agreement was signed following Pakistan's comprehensive defeat in the 1971 war, which eventually led to the independence of Bangladesh. The agreement was expected to lay the foundation of a peaceful and stable relationship between the two nations.
The deal emphasises resolving issues between the two in a bilateral manner, superseding the UN's resolution on Kashmir. The fact that there has been only ne limited war since the agreement was signed reflects its effectiveness. The agreement stressed that nations go back to the Line of Control (LoC) and respect the region.
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Agreement on the prohibition of attacks on nuclear installations and facilities
The two nations signed the monumental deal in 1988, at a time when concerns over nuclear armament were at their peak. The agreement prohibits attacks on each other's nuclear installations and ultimately came into force in 1991. The treaty requires both nations to exchange lists of their nuclear facilities annually, on January 1 of each year. The practice has been followed since 1992. This year too, India and Pakistan exchanged lists of their nuclear facilities as well as civilian prisoners.
Agreement to visit respective religious shrines
The protocol was singed back in 1974 and aimed at facilitating the visits of religious pilgrims from India and Pakistan to the shrines located in the respective countries. The 2018 version of the agreement covers 15 such locations in Pakistan and five in India.
The Lahore Declaration
The bilateral agreement was signed by the Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee and his counterpart, Nawaz Sharif, during the former's visit to Pakistan in February 1999.
In the declaration, both nations recognised that 'an environment of peace and security is in the supreme national interest of both sides and that the resolution of all outstanding issues, including Jammu and Kashmir, is essential for this purpose'. They also agreed to 'intensify their efforts to resolve all issues, including the issue of Jammu and Kashmir' through an accelerated process of their 'composite and integrated dialogue'.
The two nations also agreed to provide each other with advance information in respect of ballistic missile flight tests. However, the deal was disrupted by the Kargil crisis and resumed only in 2004, when the two countries formed expert groups to discuss conventional and nuclear confidence-building measures.
Agreement on reducing risk from accidents relating to nuclear weapons
The agreement came into effect on February 21, 2007, for an initial period of five years. As per the deal, both nations expressed their commitment to improve the security and safety of their nuclear arsenal. Under the pact, India and Pakistan are obligated to inform each other in case of any nuclear accident. The measure was taken to minimise the radiological consequences of such an accident. The deal was extended in 2012 and 2017.
LoC Agreement 2003
In November 2003, India and Pakistan reached a ceasefire agreement along the Line of Control (LoC) and the Working Boundary. The deal is aimed at halting hostilities and was eventually reaffirmed in 2021. While the deal has been generally effective, there have been periodic violations and clashes in the region.
With Pakistan's latest measure, the future of these bilateral agreements and many others between India and Pakistan remains uncertain.