Pakistani flag absent from historic table at Raj Bhawan where Simla Accord was signed

The Simla Agreement was signed between Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1972, after the 1971 war.

The Pakistani flag was noticeably absent from the historic table at the Raj Bhawan where the Simla Accord was signed, on Friday morning. This came a day after Pakistan announced the suspension of the agreement established in 1972.

The suspension of the Simla Accord by Pakistan was a response to retaliatory actions taken by India following the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, which resulted in the killing of 26 tourists in Pahalgam.

The pact was signed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Pakistan's President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto during the night of July 2 and 3, 1972.

The glossy wooden table on which the agreement was signed is displayed in the Kirti Hall of the Himachal Pradesh Raj Bhavan, elevated on a red-colored platform surrounded by brass railings. A plaque reads: "Simla Agreement was signed here on 3-7-1972."

A photograph of Bhutto signing the agreement, with Indira Gandhi seated beside him, is placed on the table. Additionally, several other photographs from the India-Pakistan Summit of 1972 hang on the walls in the background.

While it remains unclear when the Pakistan flag was removed, Raj Bhavan officials confirmed that it "is not on the table." A veteran journalist who covered the signing of the agreement informed PTI on Friday that the nearly 53-year-old arrangement focused on resolving all contentious issues bilaterally and maintaining peace at the Line of Control (LoC).

"However, it has frequently been violated by Pakistan, and its suspension holds little significance. Even if the flag is removed, there would be no repercussions since Pakistan has disregarded the agreement several times in the past," he remarked.

The pact was signed at a time when India held a strong position, and agreeing to release 90,000 prisoners of war and returning 13,000 square kilometers of land captured during the war is viewed as a significant misstep. He referred to the terrorist attacks in Pahalgam, Pulwama, and Uri, stating, "This is the price we are paying for this blunder."

(With PTI inputs)