Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the White House on April 30, 2025 in Washington as President Donald Trump looks on.
| Photo Credit: AP
The U.S. has called on India and Pakistan “not to escalate” the tension between them following the Pahalgam terror attack, the U.S. State Department said on Tuesday (April 29, 2025).
Washington was reaching out to both New Delhi and Islamabad regarding the Kashmir situation and telling them not to escalate the situation, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif received a telephone call from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday (April 30, 2025), Mr. Sharif’s office said in a statement. Ms. Bruce had said that Mr. Rubio was expected to speak “at the earliest” to Foreign Ministers of both countries.
Mr. Sharif accused India of “escalatory and provocative behavior” and urged the U.S. to impress upon India to dial down the rhetoric and act responsibly, the statement added.
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Wednesday (April 30, 2025) that the country had credible intelligence that India intends to launch a military strike within the next 36 hours.
The External Affairs Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mr. Rubio “is encouraging other national leaders and Foreign Ministers to reach out to the countries on this issue”, the State Department spokesperson said. “Obviously, we’re also monitoring the developments across the board in that region, and we are in touch with the governments of India and Pakistanat multiple levels. We are encouraging all parties to work together for a responsible solution. The world is watching this,” she added.
Responding to a question on Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif’s comments that Pakistan has “been doing this dirty work for United States”, Ms. Bruce said “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.”
“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 well — we expect certainly the impact he’s usually had with the individuals he’s spoken with and certainly with President Donald Trump’s leadership, India and Pakistan having those conversations,” Ms. Bruce said.
(With inputs from Reuters, AFP)
Published – May 01, 2025 12:33 am IST
