The 1972 Treaty That Defines How India, Pak Talk To Each Other

On July 2, 1972, in the hill town of Shimla, Indira Gandhi and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto sat down and signed an agreement that would go on to define, for decades, how India and Pakistan were allowed to talk to each other. Or rather, who they were allowed to talk to.The Shimla Agreement committed both countries to resolving their disputes, including Kashmir, through direct negotiation between themselves. It marked a clean break from the UN-driven process that had shaped the Kashmir question since 1948.The wording was chosen with care, as these things always are. Both governments declared themselves resolved to settle their differences by peaceful means through bilateral negotiations, or through any other peaceful means both sides might mutually agree upon. On paper, that last bit leaves the door open a crack.