In March 1972, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, president of West Pakistan, visited the Soviet Union to help normalize formal relations between the two countries. Bhutto engaged in substantive discussions with Soviet leaders in Moscow.
It helped to increase the International pressure and brought India on the table of negotiations with Pakistan in the form of Shimla Agreement.
Negotiating with a country , that has dismembered Pakistan, was an open-challenge to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Before Shimla meeting, Z.A Bhutto and his colleagues did the comprehensive homework as Bhutto had realized that Arabs had still not succeeded in regaining territory lost in the 1967 war with Israel. Therefore, capturing of land does not cry out for international attention the same way as the prisoners do. In Bhutto's point of view, the POW problem was more of a humanitarian problem that could be tackled at any time, but the territorial problem was something that could be integrated in India as time elapses.
India had two primary objectives at Shimla. First, a lasting solution to the Kashmir issue by forcing Pakistan to accept Ceasefire Line in Kashmir as an International border or, failing that, an agreement that would constrain Pakistan from involving third parties in discussions about the future of Kashmir. Second, it was hoped that the Agreement would allow for a new beginning in relations with Pakistan based upon Pakistan’s acceptance of the new balance of power. India had 5000 sq miles of Pakistani territory and 93000 POWs which India was intending to use for forcing Pakistan to agree with the Indian demands.
(29 June 1972) West Pakistani President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto arrives in Simla for the Indo-Pakistan Summit Conference with Mrs Indira Ghandi, Prime Minister of India.
At Simla Bhutto and Indira were cautious in handling the situation. Both were aware of the people who would question their political prudence in dealing with the problems. While Indira feared a vocal parliament and an unfriendly opposition, Bhutto had to be more careful about the situation at home. On 30th June, in the first stage of the Agreement, Bhutto demanded the control of the territory which surprised and shocked the Indian delegation. Indian Premier Gandhi was stunned and astonished at Bhutto's demand and reacted immediately by refusing Bhutto's demand.
Official level talks were held but no side was prepared to budge; various formats were discussed but without result. In the evening of the first day Mrs Gandhi hosted a dinner but none spoke on the issues. Everybody at Simla appeared depressed.
On July 1, 1972,the 2nd day, Bhutto and Indira held a meeting with their respective delegations, presumably to find some mechanism or the basis of further talks in a bid to break the ice. At the end, it appeared that no result had been achieved. By now it had become evident that the summit was moving towards a deadlock. Bhutto sensed it immediately and spelled out his intentions clearly: “We are not going to shut it.”
July 2, presumably the last day meant for the summit, was a hectic day as members of both the teams worked hard to draft a declaration denoting the outcome: whether it was to be a deadlock or whether there would be some breakthrough. The main point was preparation of the text of the declaration.
In the evening a dinner had been hosted; as soon as it finished both the leaders set off for a stroll on the breezy lawns of Simla Governor House. It was a one-to-one meeting. After some time, the two leaders returned to the main hall and called the officials. Here too, no one was allowed to join.
The text of the agreement had been vaguely drafted earlier and now a final touch was to be given. India’s P N Dhar and Pakistan’s Aziz Ahmad sat over the draft. A document was read out to both the leaders and, after making some changes, this was finally accepted and consequently set for signatures. Finally, the rest of the participants were called in to witness the ceremony. The accord was signed at 40 minutes past midnight on the morning of July 3, 1972, (erroneously mentioned in historical documents as July 2).
How did both the leaders agree to reach the agreement in the last moments and what brought such a sudden change in their policy which could not be resolved in three days? This was an intriguing mystery and political observers and analysts mulled over this question for quite some time.
Whatever both Leaders
discussed in Private meeting, it was clear that somehow Bhutto had convinced Indira
Gandhi to end all hostilities and return all the territories occupied during
the conflict immediately and un conditionally. Although both leaders were under
pressure to end all hostilities and reach at some kind of settlement but still
India had an upper hand. So what could have force Mrs. Gandhi to fulfill the
Pakistani demand which she had refused at the very beginning of the conference? Continue . . .
by Zaheeruddin Babar
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