Pahalgam attack: US urges de-escalation; Rubio to speak with India, Pak foreign ministers

NEW YORK: Amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan, the US has called on both countries "not to escalate" the conflict. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will speak to their foreign ministers "as early as today or tomorrow".

US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce at a press briefing on Tuesday said that Washington is reaching out to both India and Pakistan "regarding the Kashmir situation” and telling "them not to escalate the situation."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio “expects to speak with the foreign ministers of Pakistan and India as early as today or tomorrow. He is encouraging other national leaders and foreign ministers to reach out to the countries on this issue,” Bruce said.

"So it is – again, as I’ve noted, every day action is being taken, in this case the Secretary speaking directly to his counterparts in India and Pakistan, and we’ll – we expect certainly the impact he’s usually had with the individuals he’s spoken with and certainly with President Trump’s leadership, India and Pakistan having those conversations. It’s very important for them,” Bruce said.

Responding to a question on Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif’s comments that Pakistan has "been doing this dirty work for United States”, Bruce added “the only thing I’m really prepared to discuss here is the fact that the Secretary of State is going to be speaking with the foreign ministers of both countries.”

“What I can tell you – obviously, we’re also monitoring the developments across the board in that region, and we – as you know, at multiple levels, I have to say – are in touch with the governments of India and Pakistan, not just at the foreign minister level, certainly, but at multiple levels. We, of course, are encouraging all parties to work together for a responsible solution. The world is watching this. But I have no additional details in that regard.”

On April 22, terrorists opened fire in Kashmir's Pahalgam, killing 26 people, in the deadliest attack in the Valley since the Pulwama strike in 2019. The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), claimed responsibility for the attack.

Meanwhile, in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday told the top defence brass that the armed forces have "complete operational freedom" to decide on the mode, targets and timing of India's response to the Pahalgam terror attack, according to government sources.

During the high-level meeting, which was attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and the chiefs of three services, Modi affirmed that it is the national resolve to deal a crushing blow to terrorism, they said.

Modi expressed complete faith and confidence in the professional abilities of the armed forces.

On April 26, US President Donald Trump said that there have always been tensions between India and Pakistan, and the two countries will figure it out between themselves “one way or the other”.

He made these remarks after he was asked about tensions between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack.

“I am very close to India and I'm very close to Pakistan, as you know. And they've had that fight for 1,000 years in Kashmir. Kashmir has been going on for 1,000 years, probably longer than that. And it was a bad one yesterday, though; that was a bad one. Over 30 people,” Trump said during a press gaggle with reporters aboard Air Force One on the way to Rome.

Also, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday spoke separately by telephone with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, reiterating his strong condemnation of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam. In a post on X, Jaishankar said, "Received a call from @UN SG @antonioguterres. Appreciate his unequivocal condemnation of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam. Agreed on the importance of accountability. India is resolved that the perpetrators, planners and backers of this attack are brought to justice.”

In the telephone calls, Guterres noted the importance of pursuing justice and accountability for these attacks through lawful means, as the spokesman for Secretary-General Stephane Dujarric said.

Guterres also expressed his deep concern at the rising tensions between India and Pakistan and underscored the need to avoid a confrontation that could result in tragic consequences.

The UN chief offered his Good Offices to support any de-escalation efforts, Dujarric added.

President of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly Philemon Yang is also “deeply concerned” by the escalation of violence between India and Pakistan, Spokesperson for the Office of the President of the General Assembly Sharon Birch said at a press briefing.

Yang extended his sincere condolences to the families of the victims of the attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, and "stresses that the targeting of civilians is unacceptable and cannot be justified under any circumstances. He calls on both parties to exercise maximum restraint and to resolve this dispute through diplomatic means.”