The US has urged India and Pakistan to work together to “de-escalate tensions” after a deadly militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir last week killed 26 civilians.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio held separate talks with India’s foreign minister and Pakistan’s prime minister on Wednesday and called on them to “maintain peace and security in South Asia”.
The “perpetrators, backers and planners” of the Pahalgam attack must be brought to justice”, Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar wrote on X after speaking to his US counterpart by telephone, as Rubio expressed his sorrow and reaffirmed Washington’s support in India’s fight against terrorism.
Secretary Rubio, while talking to External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, urged “India to work with Pakistan to de-escalate tensions.”
According to State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, “Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar today. The Secretary expressed his sorrow for the lives lost in the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam, and reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to cooperation with India against terrorism.
“He also encouraged India to work with Pakistan to de-escalate tensions and maintain peace and security in South Asia.”
Meanwhile, the top US diplomat expressed the need to “condemn the terror attack” in his talks with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
He urged Islamabad to co-operate “in investigating this unconscionable attack”.
During the call, Sharif rejected “Indian attempts to link Pakistan to the incident”, a statement issued by his office read. The Pakistani prime minister also urged the US to “impress upon India to dial down the rhetoric and act responsibly”.
The phone calls come after Pakistan’s information minister warned that they had “credible intelligence” suggesting India might launch military action against the country in the next 24-36 hours. Delhi has not publicly commented on these claims.
India accuses Pakistan of supporting militants behind the 22 April attack at a scenic meadow near the resort town of Pahalgam. Islamabad rejects the allegations.
