US urges India, Pakistan to de-escalate tensions
Rubio spoke separately with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday while expressing support to India in combating extremism and urging Pakistan to cooperate in probing the attack that killed more than two dozen people, the State Department said in separate statements after the calls. —Reuters
Zulfiqar Ahmad from Islamabad adds: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday called on the United States to take a more assertive role in de-escalating the situation, urging Washington to press New Delhi to act with restraint.
The push for US intervention came during a high-level phone call between Prime Minister Sharif and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio – the first official contact between Islamabad and the Trump administration since President Donald Trump took office in January.
The call, seen as diplomatically significant, followed a sharp escalation in rhetoric between the two nuclear-armed rivals.
According to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office, Prime Minister Sharif received a call from Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday evening, during which he outlined Pakistan's perspective on the escalating situation in South Asia and voiced concern over what he termed India's 'escalatory and provocative' actions.
At the heart of Islamabad's concerns is what Sharif described as New Delhi's attempt to 'weaponize water' – an obvious reference to India's handling of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).
Sharif criticized India for what he called a unilateral approach to a bilateral accord that governs water distribution between the two countries. 'Water is a lifeline for 240 million people in Pakistan,' Sharif said, warning that any disruption to its flow would carry dire consequences.
In a pointed rebuke of Indian allegations linking Pakistan to the Pahalgam incident, Sharif categorically denied any involvement, instead calling for a 'transparent, credible, and neutral investigation' to determine the facts.
He warned that such accusations were aimed at derailing Pakistan's counterterrorism efforts, which remain focused on combating groups such as the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) – many of which, he insisted, operate from Afghan territory.
Sharif also took the opportunity to underscore Pakistan's long-standing cooperation with the United States, describing the bilateral relationship as one rooted in over seven decades of partnership.
He highlighted counterterrorism and economic development – especially in the minerals sector – as areas ripe for further collaboration. While condemning terrorism 'in all its forms and manifestations,' the prime minister reiterated the heavy toll Pakistan has paid in the global war on terror: over 90,000 lives lost and an estimated $152 billion in economic damages.
On the regional front, Sharif stressed that a peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute remains essential to ensuring long-term stability in South Asia.
He warned that continued provocation from India risks undermining Pakistan's domestic progress, particularly its recent economic reforms, which he claimed have begun to steer the country toward recovery.
Secretary Rubio, for his part, expressed appreciation for the candid exchange and reaffirmed the United States' interest in promoting peace and stability across the region.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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