The Third Kashmir War (1967-1972) and the Position of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on It

Abstract

The Third Kashmir War between India and Pakistan is considered one of the most influential wars in the history of South Asia, as it led to the emergence of a new state on the political map, namely Bangladesh, when East Pakistan separated from West Pakistan. Although this war was not directly about the Kashmir issue, it had repercussions on Kashmir through India's intervention in Pakistan's civil war and its support for East Pakistan. This ultimately allowed India to exploit the war and occupy important strategic positions in Kashmir. As for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's stance on this war, it called on countries around the world, and especially Islamic countries, to support Pakistan both materially and militarily, and urged India not to interfere in Pakistan's internal affairs. It also called for resolving the issue internally, maintaining Pakistan as a unified state, and ending the war between them. Regarding the Kingdom's position on the Shimla Agreement, it sought through the activities of the Organization of the Islamic Conference to achieve reconciliation. The organization attempted to mediate between the governments of Pakistan and Bangladesh and succeeded in doing so. The research relied on several sources, including: Kamal Kamel Tarhini, The Kashmir Crisis Between Regional Backgrounds and International Positions; Dalia Ali Reza Saleh, Post-Cold War Indian-Pakistani Relations and Their Future Prospects; Haider Abdul-Redha Al-Tamimi and Jaafar Abdullah Al-Tamimi, Modern and Contemporary Asian History; Sabla Talal Yassin, The 1971 Indian-Pakistani War; Fella Arabi Awda, The Kashmir Issue Between Regional Positions and External Influences. I also benefited from some Saudi newspapers to clarify the position of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including Al-Okaz and Al-Riyadh newspapers.