With mounting tensions between two nuclear arch rivals in South Asia, the United Nations, USA and China have urged both India and Pakistan to de-escalate military action and immediately search for ‘diplomatic alternatives’. The U.S. State Department called for de-escalation and said that Secretary of State Marco Rubio would be speaking soon to the Indian and Pakistani foreign ministers.
The UN Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed “deep concern” over rising tensions between India and Pakistan since the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir a week ago in which 26 tourists were killed, reports agencies.
“This morning, he (António Guterres) spoke separately by telephone with Muhammad Shebaz Sharif, the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and he also spoke earlier in the day with Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, the Minister for External Affairs of the Republic of India,” said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, briefing journalists at UN Headquarters in New York.
During the calls the UN chief reiterated his strong condemnation of the 22 April terrorist attack, noting “the importance of pursuing justice and accountability for these attacks through lawful means.”
He expressed major concern over “rising tensions between India and Pakistan and he also underscored the need to avoid a confrontation that could result in tragic consequences,” added Dujarric.
The Secretary-General also offered to help mediate in support of any de-escalation efforts.
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi has appealed for de-escalation but he has ” backed Pakistan’s call for an independent probe into the recent attack in Kashmir.”, reports agencies. Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the armed forces ‘complete freedom to decide on the mode, targets, and timing’ of India’s military response to the Pahamgam terror attack. Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif expressed fear that “a military incursion by India was imminent”.
As tensions escalate, cross-border firing between soldiers of India and Pakistan has also increased along the Line of Control, the de facto frontier that separates Kashmiri territory between the two rivals. On Tuesday, the Indian army in a statement said it had responded to “unprovoked” small arms fire from multiple Pakistan army posts for a fifth consecutive night.
Each side has accused the other of starting border skirmishes in the Himalayan region.
Early Wednesday, Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Islamabad had credible intelligence that India intended to carry out military action against Pakistan in the next 24-36 hours over the “baseless and concocted allegations of involvement” in the Pahalgam attack.
He said in the statement that Pakistan would respond to any such action and the responsibility for any consequences of the escalation lay with India.
Indian officials had no immediate comments.