Tashkent Agreement and its Main Points
The conflict between Indian and Pakistan took an ugly shape when both the nations waged war against each other in 1965. Fearing the involvement of the other stronger nations which might have deteriorated the situation, both nations signed a treaty, known as Tashkent Agreement on 10th January 1966 after the intervention and mediation done by the Soviet Union. In this article, we will study the different points of this agreement and will discuss the aftermath of this peace treaty.
What is the Tashkent Agreement?
As mentioned earlier, India and Pakistan waged war against each other in 1965 due to various disputes related to land acquisitions and border controls. Both the countries were already facing downtime due to the slowing down of the economy and the late-blooming of industries. If this war continued for a few years, both countries would have been pushed back decades behind in terms of economic development.
The war started in 1965. The then Indian Prime Minister, Mr. Lal Bahadur Shashtri, and the contemporary Pakistani President, Mr. Muhammad Ayub Khan signed a treaty under the mediation of the Soviet Union in Tashkent. This place was located in the then Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic. It is now called Uzbekistan.
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The entire conference was held from 4th to 10th January 1966 under the supervision of Aleksey Kosygin, the Soviet Union Premier. In this conference, both the nations agreed and declared peace and withdrew their forces from the borders to maintain peace. They agreed neither of them will interfere with each other’s internal affairs, diplomatic relations, and economy and will maintain fraternity. Both the leaders representing these countries agreed to initiate and fortify bilateral relations in the Tashkent declaration.
Major points of Tashkent Agreement 1966
The Tashkent Agreement main points according to the bilateral documents displayed on the official website of the Ministry of External Affairs are:
Indian and Pakistan ensured that they will resolve their disputes in a peaceful manner by maintaining accordance with the United Nations. No forceful measures will be taken to dissolve the friction and disputes and both nations will remain peaceful at all costs. They also decided not to indulge in conflict regarding the Jammu and Kashmir background and will look after the interests of 600 million of the contemporary population of Indians and Pakistanis.
The Indian Prime Minister and the Pakistani President decided to retreat their armed troops from the borders and will withdraw all kinds of forceful measures to reduce tension in the line of control. They agreed to retrace from the positions they held on 5th August 1965 and signed the Tashkent treaty. After signing the treaty, both nations withdrew the troops from the borders on 25th February 1966. Both sides observed a cease-fire under the mediation of the Soviet Union and the United Nations Charter.
The Pakistani President and the Indian Prime Minister agreed that both nations will now maintain a relationship following the principles of non-interference in each other’s internal affairs. No one will take interest in the internal affairs of the other party. It was mentioned in the Tashkent Treaty and was signed by both parties.
Both nations agreed to the terms in the Tashkent declaration that they will discourage raising any propaganda against the other nation and will encourage in promoting fraternity and mutual development to become stronger. India and Pakistan will follow the course of friendship in terms of external affairs and will seek measures to develop their mutual infrastructure as they are neighbors.
The fifth point in the agreement said that the High Commissioner of India and Pakistan will return to their respective posts and will hold the responsible positions. The diplomatic missions will be carried on further for maintaining fraternity. In fact, both nations agreed to observe the terms mentioned in the Diplomatic Intercourse of the Vienna Convention 1961.
Being neighboring countries, India and Pakistan agreed to restore the trade relations and will open the borders for communications and cultural exchanges too. They will also look after the measures for implementing existing agreements.
Both the governments agreed to return the prisoners of war as an effort of repatriation mentioned in the agreement.
The President of Pakistan and the Prime Minister of India will also discuss the issues related to illegal immigration and evictions of refugees in detail. They also agreed to prevent the exodus of natives. In fact, both nations also agreed to return the assets and properties acquired by the other side as a gesture of fraternity.
Both nations agreed that they will keep on meeting on higher grounds for such fruitful discussions and world conventions and also agreed to set a joint body for reporting the respective governments to take necessary measures.
Both representatives of the nations agreed to all these terms and showed deep appreciation to the Soviet Union leaders. They also expressed gratitude to the friendly Uzbek people for conducting a platform to sign the Tashkent Agreement and making history.
FAQs on Major points of Tashkent Treaty 1966
1. What was the Tashkent Agreement of 1966?
The Tashkent Agreement was a peace treaty signed on January 10, 1966, between India's Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and Pakistan's President Muhammad Ayub Khan. It formally ended the 17-day Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. The agreement was mediated by the Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan (then part of the USSR).
2. What were the major points of the Tashkent Declaration?
The Tashkent Declaration laid out several key points aimed at restoring peace and normalcy between India and Pakistan. The major points included:
- Both nations would withdraw all armed personnel to the positions they held prior to August 5, 1965, no later than February 25, 1966.
- They reaffirmed their obligation under the UN Charter not to have recourse to force and to settle their disputes through peaceful means.
- The treaty stated that the relations between India and Pakistan shall be based on the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of each other.
- Both sides agreed to discourage any propaganda directed against the other country.
- They agreed to restore diplomatic relations and normal functioning of their respective High Commissions.
- Steps were to be taken to restore economic, trade, and cultural relations.
3. What was the role of the Soviet Union in the Tashkent Agreement?
The Soviet Union played the crucial role of a neutral mediator in the Tashkent Agreement. After the Indo-Pak War of 1965, both the United States and the Soviet Union were keen to prevent further conflict in South Asia. Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin invited both Indian and Pakistani leaders to Tashkent and facilitated the negotiations. This act positioned the USSR as a significant peacemaker on the global stage, enhancing its influence in the region during the Cold War.
4. What is the historical significance of the Tashkent Agreement for India-Pakistan relations?
The Tashkent Agreement is historically significant as it was a major diplomatic effort to establish lasting peace after the 1965 war. While it successfully led to the withdrawal of troops and an exchange of prisoners, it failed to resolve the core issue of Kashmir, which was a primary cause of the war. For many in India, the agreement to return strategically won territories was seen as a diplomatic compromise. Its ultimate failure to prevent future conflicts, like the 1971 war, highlights the deep-seated nature of the India-Pakistan dispute.
5. Why is the death of Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri after signing the Tashkent Agreement considered controversial?
The death of Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri on January 11, 1966, just hours after signing the agreement, is considered controversial due to the mysterious circumstances surrounding it. The official cause of death was declared a heart attack. However, the lack of a post-mortem examination in the USSR or India, along with his family's claims about his body having turned blue and showing cut marks, led to enduring speculation and conspiracy theories about potential foul play. These unanswered questions have made his death an unresolved chapter in Indian history.
6. How was the Tashkent Agreement different from the later Shimla Agreement of 1972?
The Tashkent Agreement (1966) and the Shimla Agreement (1972) were both post-war peace efforts, but they differed significantly. The Tashkent Agreement was mediated by a third party, the Soviet Union, on neutral ground. In contrast, the Shimla Agreement was a bilateral treaty signed directly between Indira Gandhi and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, with a strong emphasis on resolving issues without third-party intervention. Furthermore, the Shimla Agreement introduced the concept of the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir, committing both sides to respect it, which was a more specific and consequential provision than anything in the Tashkent Declaration regarding Kashmir.
