Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged de-escalation and expressed support for direct dialogue in separate calls with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Thursday, U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.
Rubio, in both phone calls that took place before the latest blasts, “emphasized the need for immediate de-escalation,” Bruce said in readouts of the calls.
“He expressed U.S. support for direct dialogue between India and Pakistan and encouraged continued efforts to improve communications,” Bruce said.
Secretary Marco Rubio spoke today with Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif. The Secretary emphasized the need for immediate de-escalation.
He expressed U.S. support for direct dialogue between India and Pakistan and encouraged continued efforts to improve communications.
The Secretary expressed sorrow for the reported loss of civilian lives in the current conflict. He reiterated his calls for Pakistan to take concrete steps to end any support for terrorist groups.
Fears have grown that the worst confrontation in two decades in the conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbors could escalate after India on Wednesday struck what it said was “terrorist infrastructure” in Pakistan and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir in retaliation for a deadly attack in Indian Kashmir on April 22 that New Delhi has blamed on Islamabad.
New blasts rang out across the city of Jammu in Indian Kashmir late on Thursday during what Indian military sources said they suspected was a Pakistani drone attack.
President Donald Trump has said he hopes the tit-for-tat strikes will stop and said he was willing to help, but Washington has not offered to formally mediate to quell the tensions.
