Amid the spiraling political tension between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives, the United States on Wednesday intervened and encouraged both New Delhi and Islamabad to de-escalate tensions while asserting the need for Pakistan to condemn the deadly attack.
During a call with Jaishankar, Rubio voiced solidarity with New Delhi and expressed his sorrow for the lives lost in the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam.
Earlier, Washington publicly expressed support for India after the attack. The move was condemned by President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. However, they did not criticize Pakistan directly.
India-US ties are crucial for the United States as Washington aims to counter China's rising influence while Pakistan remains Washington's ally even as its importance diminished after the 2021 US withdrawal from neighbouring Afghanistan.
About The Conversations
On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held conversations with External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and reaffirmed the United States' commitment to cooperate with India against terrorism and encouraged both India and Pakistan to de-escalate tensions and maintain peace and security in South Asia, as per a statement issued by State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce.
In his conversation with Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif, Rubio asserted the need to condemn the terror attack on April 22 in Pahalgam and urged Pakistani officials’ cooperation in investigating "this unconscionable attack."
"Both leaders reaffirmed their continued commitment to holding terrorists accountable for their heinous acts of violence. The Secretary urged Pakistani officials' cooperation in investigating this unconscionable attack," said Bruce, as per PTI.
India-Pakistan Tension Escalates
Since the devastating attack on April 22 that killed 26 people in Pahalgam, the political tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours are on the rise.
As India blamed Pakistan for the attack, for the past few days, Pakistani Army has been targeting different Indian positions along the Line of Control (LoC) since the past few days following the terror attack in Pahalgam. However, each time they met with appropriate response.
The Pakistan military has been put on high alert following India's assertion that it would hunt down the terrorists involved in the Pahalgam strike.
In view of the cross-border linkages to the Pahalgam attack, India responded with a series of retaliatory measures against Pakistan including the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT), suspension of visas, closure of Wagah-Attari border amongst others..
Pakistan has also responded with tit-for-tat measures and closed its airspace to Indian-owned and operated airlines.
Pakistan's government, reacting to a series of diplomatic moves by India, warned that diverting water meant for Pakistan under the Indus Waters Treaty would be viewed as an 'act of war'
In its response, Pakistan on Thursday announced shutting its airspace to all Indian airlines and suspended trade with New Delhi, including through third countries.
Pakistan also rejected India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and said any measures to stop the flow of water belonging to Pakistan under the pact would be seen as an "act of war".
