India Pakistan Relations: Overview, History, Shimla Agreement, UPSC Notes

India and Pakistan have shared a complex and often tense relationship since their independence in 1947. The relationship between India and Pakistan has been shaped by wars, political disputes, and efforts at peace. India-Pakistan relations are mainly affected by issues like Kashmir, cross-border terrorism, and military tensions. Despite these challenges, both countries have also made efforts to improve ties through talks, trade, and cultural exchanges. The future of India and Pakistan depends on peaceful dialogue and mutual understanding.

This topic of India-Pakistan Relations is important from the perspective of the UPSC IAS Examination, which falls under General Studies Paper 2 (Mains) and General Studies Paper 1 (Preliminary) and particularly in the International Relations section of the UPSC Exam. In this article, we shall discuss the ‘India-Pakistan Relations.’ Learn about bilateral relations between India and Pakistan & More!

Register for UPSC Online Classes at an affordable price through the UPSC CSE Coaching platform to boost your IAS preparation.

Download the UPSC Practice Questions on India-Pakistan Relations for Prelims & Mains!

India Pakistan Relations Overview

India Pakistan relations have been marked by shared history, deep political tensions, and multiple conflicts since 1947. Despite efforts at dialogue and peace, issues like Kashmir and cross-border terrorism continue to strain ties.

Recent Developments in India Pakistan Relations

The relationship between India and Pakistan has sharply deteriorated following a deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, 2025, which resulted in the death of 26 people. India has squarely blamed Pakistan for sponsoring the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists believed to be responsible for the attack.

• India's Retaliatory Measures: In the immediate aftermath, India initiated a five-point action plan targeting Pakistan, including:
  • Suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty: A historic first, putting the water-sharing agreement in "abeyance."
  • Closure of the Attari-Wagah Border: Halting cross-border movement and trade.
  • Cancellation of SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES): Revoking existing visas for Pakistani nationals.
  • Expulsion of Pakistani Military Advisors: Declaring them persona non grata.
  • Reduction of Diplomatic Personnel: Downsizing staff at High Commissions in both countries.
  • Suspension of Mail and Parcel Services: Further cutting communication links.
  • Banning of Pakistani Ships: Prohibiting Pakistani-flagged vessels from docking at Indian ports.
• Pakistan's Countermeasures: Pakistan retaliated by:
  • Suspending the Simla Agreement (1972): Raising concerns about the future of the Line of Control (LoC).
  • Closing the Wagah Border: Mirroring India's action.
  • Closing Airspace: Banning Indian-owned and operated airlines.
  • Halting All Trade: Including indirect trade.
  • Expelling Indian Diplomats: Reciprocating India's move.
• Escalation and Border Tensions:
  • Reports of increased ceasefire violations and exchanges of gunfire along the LoC.
  • Pakistan test-fired a ballistic missile, further escalating tensions.
• India's Military Action: "Operation Sindhoor" (May 7, 2025): India launched targeted strikes on nine terrorist infrastructure sites inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir (PoK) in response to the Pahalgam attack.
• UNSC Involvement: Following Pakistan's request, the UN Security Council held closed-door consultations. The focus was likely on de-escalation and condemning terrorism. 
• National-Level Mock Drill: "Operation Abhyaas" (May 7, 2025): India conducted a large-scale civil defence mock drill nationwide, focusing on preparedness for hostile attacks, citing the heightened security environment.

Read the article on India's Neighbourhood First Policy!

Relationships between India and Pakistan, both nuclear nations, have a long history together. Since their independence from the British Empire in 1947, the nations have fought a series of wars, mostly over the Kashmir region, which both claim. Despite having linguistic, cultural, geographical, and economic links, India and Pakistan’s relations have been affected by a series of historical and political events. The partition of India was one of the greatest human migrations in history, resulting in violent killings of migrants throughout the subcontinent.

India became a nuclear power in 1974, and Pakistan did so in 1998. Although India and Pakistan have fought three conventional wars, neither side has used nuclear weapons. In 1988, India and Pakistan agreed that neither side would attack the other’s nuclear infrastructure or facilities, and the agreement went into effect in January 1991. India’s doctrine and diplomacy have long been defined by a nuclear weapons policy of No First Use (NFU). However, In the wake of rising tensions between India and Pakistan, India’s Defence Minister stated in 2019 that India’s “no first use nuclear policy” may change in the future.

Read the article on the International Boundary of India!

India Pakistan Relations Timeline

Bilateral Relations between India and Pakistan

India and Pakistan relations have always been tense and often hostile since their independence in 1947. The Indo Pak relations ties have been shaped by territorial disputes, especially over Kashmir, and several wars and conflicts. Despite these challenges, both countries have also made efforts to improve relations through talks, trade, and peace agreements like the Simla Agreement. However, issues like cross-border terrorism, political mistrust, and border tensions continue to affect peace. The relationship remains complex, with moments of hope often followed by setbacks.

Indus Waters Treaty

• The Indus Water Treaty is a water-distribution agreement signed on September 19, 1960, between India and Pakistan, sponsored and negotiated by the World Bank, to use the water available in the Indus River and its five major tributaries.
• The Treaty provides India jurisdiction over the waters of three “eastern rivers” — the Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej, which have a mean annual flow of 33 million acre-feet (MAF).
• While Pakistan uses the waters of the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab, three “western rivers,” with an average annual flow of 80 MAF.
• The Treaty went into force on April 1, 1960. (Effective Date).

Read the article on the Space Relationship of India with its Neighbouring Countries!

India Pakistan Relations in Trade

Bilateral trade has historically been low relative to the size of both economies. Before the recent escalation, trade had seen periods of decline and slight recovery. In FY 2023-24, India's exports to Pakistan were around $1.2 billion, while imports were a meager $3 million.

• India's Exports: Organic chemicals, pharmaceuticals, sugar, vegetables, cotton yarn, plastic products, auto parts.
• Pakistan's Exports: Fruits and nuts (dates, mangoes), cement, raw materials for textiles (cotton), rock salt, gypsum.

Trade Agreement between India and Pakistan 

In June 1949, a trade agreement that was advantageous to both parties was signed by India and Pakistan.

Article I to X

The table below highlights the ten articles of the trade agreement:

Read the article on the Gujral Doctrine!

India Pak Relations in Culture

• Northern India and Eastern Pakistan share common cultures, cuisines, and languages due to their Indo-Aryan heritage, fostering historical ties between the two nations.
• Pakistani entertainers, including singers, musicians, comedians, and actors, have gained popularity in India, especially in Bollywood, while Indian music and films are well-received in Pakistan.
• Pakistan's culture, being in the northernmost region of South Asia, bears similarities to North India, particularly the northwest.
• The Punjab region was divided into Punjab, Pakistan, and Punjab, India after the 1947 partition, with Punjabi people forming significant ethnic groups in both countries.
• The founder of Sikhism, born in modern-day Pakistani Punjab, attracts millions of Indian Sikh pilgrims visiting holy sites in Nankana Sahib each year.
• Sindhi people are native to Pakistan's Sindh province, and many Hindu Sindhis migrated to India in 1947, forming a substantial Sindhi community there.
• The Muhajir people, Muslims who migrated from India to Pakistan during independence, are predominantly settled in Karachi while maintaining family links in India.
• Relations between Pakistan and India have resumed through media and communication platforms, including the "Aman ki Asha" campaign, promoting mutual peace, diplomacy, and cultural relations, jointly run by The Times of India and the Jang Group.

Kartarpur Corridor

• The Kartarpur Corridor connects the Sikh shrines of Dera Baba Nanak in India and Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan.
• Gurdwara Darbar Sahib is the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev. It is an important pilgrimage site for Indian Sikhs.
• For decades, Indian Sikhs could only see the gurdwara from the Indian side of the border but could not visit it. They had to undertake a journey of hundreds of kilometers to visit the shrine.
• In 1999, the idea of a corridor linking the two gurdwaras was proposed. It languished for years due to tense India-Pakistan ties.
• In 2018, Pakistan approved the construction of the Kartarpur Corridor.
• India also agreed to build the corridor with the aim of promoting people-to-people ties between the two countries.
• The corridor was finally inaugurated on November 9, 2019, on the occasion of Guru Nanak's 550th birth anniversary. It allowed Indian pilgrims visa-free access to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib.
• The opening of the Kartarpur Corridor was seen as a rare example of cooperation between India and Pakistan. It brought a sense of optimism for better ties. 

Read the article on the India Mauritius Relations!

People-to-People Relations

• The communal riots and ethnic cleansing that followed Partition, as well as debates over resource allocation and water sharing both during and after Partition, all contributed to the development of ‘enemy’ and ‘other’ concepts and identities in the social fabric.
• However, visits to religious sites between India and Pakistan are controlled under the 1974 Bilateral Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines.
• According to the protocol, three Hindu pilgrimages and four Sikh pilgrimages visit 15 sites in Pakistan each year, while five Pakistan pilgrimages visit seven shrines in India.
• In October 2017, India advised that Pakistan reactivate the Joint Judicial Committee, a body that examines the humanitarian needs of fishermen and prisoners held by both countries.
• Over the last five years, India’s efforts have resulted in the release of 30 civilian prisoners and 2080 fishermen.

Check out the test series for UPSC IAS Exam here.

Multilateral Groupings Involving India and Pakistan

Both countries participate in various regional and global forums that often serve as indirect engagement platforms:

• SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) – Regularly hampered by political tensions; last successful summit was in 2014.
• SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation) – Provides a neutral forum where both countries engage on counterterrorism and regional stability.
• UN and its Agencies – Pakistan often raises the Kashmir issue, while India emphasizes terrorism concerns.
• World Bank – Acts as a mediator for the Indus Waters Treaty and related disputes.

Way Forward

For long-term stability, both countries need sustained diplomatic and confidence-building efforts:

• Revive Bilateral Dialogue with clear focus on counterterrorism and border management.
• Strengthen Trade and Economic Links to create mutual dependencies for peace.
• Use Multilateral Forums to resolve water and security disputes with neutral mediation.
• Promote People-to-People Exchanges like cultural visits and pilgrimages to reduce mistrust.
• Prioritize Regional Cooperation to counter emerging challenges like climate change and cross-border terrorism.

We hope all your doubts regarding the “India Pakistan Relations” are addressed after going through this article. Testbook provides comprehensive notes for different competitive examinations. It has always assured the quality of its product, like content pages, live tests, GK and current affairs, mocks, and so on. Ace your preparation with the Testbook App!