The United States has indicated an intent to push Pakistan and India toward peace, as the neighboring countries inch closer to a full-scale conflict after the Pahalgam terrorist attack in India-held Kashmir.
“We are reaching out to both parties, and telling, of course, them to not escalate the situation,” U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters during a press briefing on Tuesday. She said Secretary of State Marco Rubio would hold direct conversations with the foreign ministers of both Pakistan and India and call on them to exercise restraint and pursue open dialogue.
“Secretary Rubio believes diplomacy must take the lead,” she said, stressing he has also encouraged “other foreign ministers around the world to do the same” and support efforts to maintain regional stability.
Within minutes of last week’s terror attack, India attempted to link it to Pakistan—though has yet to provide any verifiable evidence of its allegations. Pakistan has firmly denied the accusations, offering to participate in a neutral and transparent investigation to establish the facts.
“We are watching the situation closely and remain in direct contact with both governments,” said the State Department spokesperson.
U.N. role
Also on Tuesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke with United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres via telephone, urging him to counsel Delhi to act responsibly and exercise restraint amid the ongoing tensions.
During the call, Sharif that Pakistan would defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity with full force in case of any misadventure by India. He also affirmed that Pakistan condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, highlighting the significant sacrifices rendered by the country in the global war against terrorism.
Rejecting Indian accusations against Pakistan as baseless, the prime minister categorically rejected any attempt to link Pakistan with the Pahalgam incident and reiterated his call for a transparent and neutral investigation into the incident. Reiterating Pakistan’s concerns over India’s attempts to delegitimize the Kashmiri freedom struggle by hiding behind terrorism, he highlighted the widely-documented Indian state-sponsored terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.
Referring to India’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, Sharif said India’s weaponization of the waters of the Indus Basin was unacceptable as that water was the lifeline of 240 million Pakistanis. He underscored that Pakistan shall defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity with full force in case of any incursion by India. He urged the U.N. secretary-general to counsel India to act responsibly and exercise restraint and reiterated a call for Guterres to play his role for a just resolution of the Kashmir issue, in accordance with relevant resolutions of the Security Council.
The prime minister also reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering commitment towards fostering international peace and security as a responsible member of the international community and a non-permanent member of the U.N. Security Council.
Confirming the conversation, U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said Guterres had also spoken with India Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. During the conversations, he said, the secretary-general noted the importance of pursuing justice through lawful means. “The secretary-general also expressed his deep concern at rising tensions between India and Pakistan and underscored the need to avoid a confrontation that could result in tragic consequences. He offered his Good Offices to support de-escalation efforts,” he added.