A controversy broke out over US President Donald Trump’s claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked him to mediate on the Kashmir dispute, with the Opposition demanding a clarification from Modi. The government asserted that no such request was made to the US president and all issues with Pakistan will have to be resolved bilaterally.

Ahead of talks with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on July 22, Trump claimed that Modi had asked him during a meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Osaka to mediate on the Kashmir issue.

India has maintained that the Kashmir dispute is a bilateral issue and must be settled through bilateral negotiations as per the Simla Agreement and had denied any third party intervention, even that of the United Nations.

As the Opposition mounted a concerted attack, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar clarified in the Rajya Sabha that Modi had never made any such request to Trump.

“Any engagement with Pakistan will require an end to cross-border terrorism,” he asserted, adding that the Simla and Lahore accords signed between India and Pakistan provide the basis for resolution of all issues bilaterally.

Simla Agreement

The Simla Agreement was signed by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Pakistani President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto on July 2, 1972, in the capital of Himachal Pradesh.

The agreement was a peace treaty signed by the two nations after the end of the 1971 war, that led to the independence of Bangladesh, which was earlier known as East Pakistan and was part of the territory of Pakistan.

The Simla Agreement aimed to reverse the consequences of the 1971 war (to bring about withdrawal of troops and an exchange of prisoners of war).

It was a comprehensive blueprint for good neighbourly relations. Under the agreement, both countries undertook to abjure conflict and confrontation, which had marred relations in the past, and to work towards the establishment of durable peace, friendship and cooperation.

The agreement contains a set of guiding principles, mutually agreed to by India and Pakistan, which both sides would adhere to while managing relations with each other. These emphasise…

* Respect for each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

* Non-interference in each other’s internal affairs.

* Respect for each other’s unity and political independence.

* Sovereign equality.

* Abjuring hostile propaganda.

It also emphasises to uphold the inviolability of the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu & Kashmir, which is the most important confidence-building measure between India and Pakistan, and a key to durable peace.

Lahore Declaration

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee signed the Lahore Declaration with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif, wherein Islamabad agreed to resolve all bilateral issues, including the issue of Jammu & Kashmir, in a peaceful manner and through dialogue and to promote people-to-people contact.

The treaty was signed on February 21, 1999, at the conclusion of a historic summit in Lahore, and ratified by the parliaments of both countries the same year.

Highlights

* The countries shall intensify efforts to resolve all issues, including the issue of Jammu & Kashmir.

* Shall refrain from intervention and interference in each other’s internal affairs.

* Shall intensify composite and integrated dialogue process for an early and positive outcome of the agreed bilateral agenda.

* Shall take immediate steps for reducing the risk of accidental or unauthorised use of nuclear weapons and discuss concepts and doctrines with a view to elaborating measures for confidence building in the nuclear and conventional fields, aimed at prevention of conflict.

* Reaffirm commitment to the goals and objectives of SAARC with a view to promoting the welfare of the peoples of South Asia and to improve their quality of life through accelerated economic growth, social progress and cultural development.

* Reaffirm condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and their determination to combat this menace.

* Shall promote and protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms.