The Shimla Accord signed between India and Pakistan on July 2, 1972 is still a strong foundation for peace between the two countries. The agreement was signed between the new President of Pakistan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, and the then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi. Bhutto was accompanied by his daughter Benazir Bhutto. Benazir is his autobiography ‘Destiny’s Daughter‘Details of the visit to Shimla are given, It gives a good picture of the inside story of the deal and the Indian media at the time.
When Pakistan signed the Shimla Accord on July 2, 1972, it was clearly committed to resolving the Kashmir issue without external interference. #Shimla agreement # Bilateralism #Pakistan Accountability pic.twitter.com/XGDd9Qppul
— South Block Sources (@SBSources) 2nd July, 2026
Four days after Dhaka was lost to India in the 1971 war, On 20 December Yahya Khan of Pakistan had to resign and Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto became the new President of Pakistan. Benazir wrote that Pakistan suffered heavy losses in the war. Large parts of their air and naval forces were destroyed and their coffers were almost empty. East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) was out of hand and the Indian Army occupied 5,000 square miles of West Pakistan and took 93,000 Pakistani soldiers as prisoners of war. The situation was such that many thought Pakistan would not last long.
Negotiations for a treaty were settled at Shimla on 28 June the following year. President Bhutto also took his daughter Benazir with him. The whole hope of Pakistan depends on this meeting. Benazir wrote that her father had no assets to sign the treaty and India had all the control. As the plane landed in Chandigarh, the Pakistani delegation wondered whether they could make peace with India or return empty-handed. Benazir was strictly instructed by her father that she should not express joy or sorrow on her face.
They reached Shimla by helicopter from Chandigarh. Indira Gandhi herself welcomed them. The next five days were filled with hope and disappointment. Benazir, on the other hand, was attracted to common people. Whenever he went out, People thronged to see him and traffic was stopped. Journalists also interviewed him‘There was a lot of talk about the clothes she wore. At the dinner on June 30, she wore a silk saree given to her by her mother. Indira Gandhi advised her to tie her saree tightly, Which scared Benazir a bit.
Meanwhile, there has been no progress on the negotiating table and the Kashmir issue remains at a standstill. On 2 July Zulfikar Ali Bhutto asked Benazir to pack her things, Because they were supposed to go back the next day without making a deal. He said it is better to return empty-handed than to accept India’s conditions. Had a courtesy call on Indira Gandhi that evening. Bhutto then decided to make one last attempt. He made a proposal to Indira Gandhi and promised that the Prime Minister would inform him of his decision over dinner.
After dinner Indira Gandhi and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto entered a small room. The representatives of the two countries were in separate large rooms. The delegates used the billiard table as a desk to express agreement or disagreement with their leaders by writing on paper. The draft was changed repeatedly and nobody knew anything. In this situation, the Pakistani delegation set up a signal that if a deal was reached ‘l‘Source of Ra‘ bully a‘B and Nh‘Lt ‘It’s a girl‘ bully a‘b.
At 12:40 PM, suddenly Benazir lived on the floor ‘l‘Ra is! l‘Ra is!‘ Heard the cry‘l Benji hurried downstairs. However, he could not enter the room at that historic moment, Because by then the contract was signed. It will forever be recorded in history as the Shimla Pact‘l However, Pakistan has subsequently violated the agreement several times and said it would be suspended after the Pulwama attack., But the historical importance of this agreement is still immense.