US urges India, Pakistan to de-escalate, engage in dialogue
Washington: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called for Pakistan and India to engage in dialogue and reduce tensions after false flag operation in Pahlgam, Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22.
According to the US State Department, Rubio held separate phone conversations with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
The US also called on other nations to support de-escalation efforts, while urging both nuclear-armed neighbours to reopen lines of communication and seek a peaceful resolution.
Rubio also encouraged Islamabad to cooperate fully in the probe. Pakistan, denying any role in the attack, asked the US to press India to tone down its rhetoric.
Tensions have escalated sharply since the attack, with both countries taking retaliatory steps, including suspending a bilateral water-sharing treaty, closing airspace to each other’s airlines, and engaging in cross-border exchanges of fire.
