Pakistan Has ‘Option’ To Revoke Simla Agreement, Foreign Office Says After India’s Move Over Pahalgam Attack

<p>Islamabad, Apr 25 (PTI) Pakistan on Friday said it has the &ldquo;option&rdquo; to revoke the Simla Agreement if India escalates the conflict between the two countries.</p>
<p>Amid India-Pakistan tensions after the Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistan had on Thursday threatened to suspend all bilateral accords, including the 1972 Simla Agreement.</p>
<p>This was among steps taken by Islamabad after New Delhi downgraded diplomatic relations and suspended the Indus Water Treaty (IWT). On Friday, Pakistan reiterated it will take all appropriate steps to preserve its sanctity and smooth implementation.</p>
<p>When asked about the implication of revoking the Simla Agreement, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali said the question was &ldquo;speculative&rdquo;.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The National Security Committee has said very clearly that we have the option to do that if India goes down this path of escalation,&rdquo; he said referring to Thursday’s meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Relations between two countries are based on certain structures and legal agreements, including the UN Charter, international law and a series of bilateral agreements.</p>
<p>&ldquo;If one of the parties is utterly disinterested and if they think that bilateral agreements between the two countries are a favour given to another country, then that is a very unfortunate scenario. And in that case, we will exercise our options as the situation evolves,&rdquo; Ali said.</p>
<p>He also reiterated what the Foreign Office press statement said after Thursday&rsquo;s National Security Committee meeting.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Noting the reckless and irresponsible behavior of India, which disregards international conventions, UN Security Council Resolutions and international obligations at will, Pakistan shall exercise the right to hold all bilateral agreements with India, including but not limited to Simla Agreement in abeyance, till India desists from its manifested behaviour of fomenting terrorism inside Pakistan; trans-national killings; and non-adherence to international law and UN Resolutions on Kashmir.&rdquo; The Simla Agreement recognises the Line of Control between the two countries and declares that differences will be settled through negotiations.</p>
<p>Addressing the weekly press briefing here, Ali said, &ldquo;The Indus Water Treaty is of critical importance for Pakistan’s water security and economy. Naturally, we will take all appropriate steps to preserve its sanctity and smooth implementation.&rdquo; &ldquo;In the absence of any relevant legal provisions in the treaty, India is in no position to make a unilateral decision to hold it in abeyance,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The unlawful, unilateral, and irresponsible Indian announcement threatens the very foundations of the entire edifice of interstate cooperation and smooth implementation of the treaties.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>
<p><em><strong>(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)<br /></strong></em></p>