US mediates between India, Pakistan to de-escalate tensions following Pahalgam attack

The United States tried to mediate between India and Pakistan to deescalate tensions between the two nuclear powered countries following the deadly attack in Indian Kashmir's Pahalgam which took the lives of at least 26 people.

In separate phone calls with India's Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif yesterday (30 April), US Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasised cooperation against terrorism and called for investigations, Dawn and NDTV World reported.

While talking to the Indian foreign minister, Rubio expressed sorrow over the loss of 26 lives, and urged the Hindu-majority nation to launch an impartial investigation to find out the culprits behind the cowardly act.

Meanwhile, during his talk with Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif, Rubio asked him to cooperate with India during investigation and maintain peace in South Asia by keeping a check on their rhetoric.

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. He also reaffirmed the United States' commitment to cooperation with India against terrorism, but also encouraged caution as India accuses Pakistan of backing the attack and calls for retaliation, according to US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce.

Rubio encouraged India to work with Pakistan to de-escalate tensions and maintain peace and security in South Asia.

After the call, Jaishankar posted on X that "perpetrators, backers and planners" of the attack "must be brought to justice."

While on call with Prime Minister Sharif, Rubio asked Pakistan to condemn the attack in Kashmir on 22 April and cooperate in an investigation. The US Secretary of State "urged Pakistani officials' cooperation in investigating this unconscionable attack, Bruce said

"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.

During the phone call, PM Shehbaz urged Rubio yesterday to make India understand that it should step back in its rhetoric and exhibit responsibility amid intense tensions between the two countries in the wake of the Pahalgam attack.

The 22 April attack in Pahalgam killed 26 people, mostly tourists, marking one of the deadliest assaults in the region since 2000. India has implied cross-border links without evidence, while Pakistan's civilian and military leadership have rejected the accusation and called for a neutral probe. Tensions have since spiked, with Pakistan reinforcing its forces and Modi granting "operational freedom" to his military.

The US has urged restraint and said it was planning talks with both sides to ease the crisis.

A statement issued from the Prime Minister's Office yesterday said the premier received a telephone call from the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the evening during which Shehbaz "urged the US to impress upon India to dial down the rhetoric and act responsibly".

"Terming India's escalatory and provocative behaviour as deeply disappointing and worrisome, the prime minister said that India's provocations would only serve to distract Pakistan from its ongoing efforts to defeat terrorism, particularly from militant groups, including ISKP (Islamic State Khorasan Province), TTP (Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan) and BLA (Balochistan Liberation Army) operating from Afghan soil," it added.

According to the statement, PM Shehbaz "categorically rejected" India's attempts to link Pakistan to the Pahalgam incident, highlighting his call for a transparent, credible and neutral investigation to bring out the facts.

It said the prime minister shared Pakistan's perspective on recent developments in South Asia since the Pahalgam incident with Secretary Rubio.

"While condemning terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, the PM underscored Pakistan's leading role in the war on terror and its sacrifice of over 90,000 lives and over $152 billion in economic losses," the statement read.

"It is most regrettable that India chose to weaponise water, which is a lifeline for 240 million people of Pakistan," the premier was quoted as saying, while also stressing that the Indus Waters Treaty had no provision for either side to unilaterally renege from its commitments.

The prime minister added that the peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute was the "only way to ensure lasting peace in South Asia".

According to the statement, PM Shehbaz highlighted to America's top diplomat that Pakistan and the US had worked together closely over the past seven decades and there was much that both sides could cooperate on, including counter-terrorism and enhanced economic cooperation, particularly in the minerals sector.

"The prime minister also stressed that his government had undertaken major economic reforms over the past year, and consequently, Pakistan was now on the road to economic recovery," the statement read.

"Secretary of State Rubio thanked the prime minister for the detailed conversation and emphasised the need for both sides to continue working together for peace and stability in South Asia," it concluded.

The US State Department said in a statement that Rubio also "urged Pakistani officials' cooperation in investigating this unconscionable attack".