
US presses need for immediate de-escalation, expresses support for direct dialogue between India and Pakistan
US presses need for immediate de-escalation, expresses support for direct dialogue between India and Pakistan
Rubio spoke with Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif.
By Tahir Qureshi Edited by Tahir Qureshi
Advertisement
New Delhi: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday, May 8. The Secretary emphasised the need for immediate de-escalation and expressed U.S. support for direct dialogue between India and Pakistan.
Advertisement ===

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


India Gazette
34 minutes ago
- India Gazette
Suicide Bombing Kills 13 Soldiers In Northwestern Pakistan
At least 13 soldiers were killed when a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden car into a military convoy in northwestern Pakistan. On June 28, officials in North Waziristan, a district in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, said the bombing near the regions Mir Ali town during a curfew injured 10 more soldiers. At least 14 civilians were wounded in the attack. In Miran Shah, the regional headquarters, an official said the suicide bombing hit a military truck full of soldiers responsible for disposing of bombs and other explosives. Rahmatullah, a resident of Khadi village, the scene of the attack, told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal that the bombing happened at 6 a.m. local time. He said the powerful bomb injured many women and children and damaged civilian homes. Ali Amin Gandapur, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, condemned the bombing. Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, a local Pakistani Taliban faction in North Waziristan, claimed responsibility for the attack. The relatively small faction has claimed numerous deadly attacks in and around the rural town of Mir Ali in recent years. The restive district of North Waziristan borders Afghanistan. It is one of the regions most affected by the return of the Pakistani Taliban. The Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is the largest faction of the Pakistani Taliban. Thousands of its fighters have ramped up attacks on Pakistani security forces since the return to power of its allies, the Afghan Taliban, in neighboring Afghanistan in August 2021. The TTPs violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has overshadowed relations between erstwhile allies Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban. Islamabad has repeatedly attacked alleged TTP hideouts inside Afghanistan and demanded that the Afghan Taliban rein in the group from its violent campaign against its security forces.


India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
Deserves contempt: India rejects Pakistan's claim linking it to Waziristan attack
India on Saturday rejected Pakistan's attempt to blame it for a deadly suicide bombing in North Waziristan, where 13 Pakistani soldiers were Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) condemned the accusation, saying, "We have seen an official statement by the Pakistan Army seeking to blame India for the attack in Waziristan on June 28. We reject this statement with the contempt it deserves." advertisementEarlier in the day, a suicide bomber drove an explosives-laden vehicle into a military convoy in the North Waziristan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The blast killed 13 soldiers and injured 10 others, along with 19 civilians, according to a local government official quoted by news agency AFP. The suicide bombing was claimed by the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group's suicide unit, a faction aligned with the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).The attack marks yet another instance of escalating violence in Pakistan's tribal regions. Since the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan in 2021, Pakistan has witnessed a sharp surge in attacks in its border areas. Islamabad has frequently accused the Afghan Taliban of sheltering militants responsible for these cross-border assaults, an allegation Kabul to the news agency AFP, around 290 people, mostly security forces, have lost their lives in attacks by anti-government groups in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan so far this year.- EndsMust Watch IN THIS STORY#Pakistan


Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
‘Sardaar Ji 3': After demands for revoking citizenship, Diljit Dosanjh gets support from BJP, DSGMC
Jalandhar: Punjabi singer and actor Diljit Dosanjh , who has been under fire for his film 'Sardaar Ji 3' starring Pakistan actor Hania Aamir, has gotten support from BJP national spokesperson R P Singh and former DSGMC chief Manjit Singh G K. In a post on his X account on Friday R P Singh described Dosanjh as "a national asset and a global ambassador of Indian culture" as he slammed the Federation of Western India Cine Employees for demanding action against the celebrity. "FWICE's call to revoke his Indian citizenship over an inadvertent and pre-incident film shoot is not only unfair but shockingly disproportionate. The film featuring a Pakistani actress was shot before the Pahalgam attack. If there is anguish, it can be expressed through a boycott or by urging that the film not be screened in India. But attacking Diljit's patriotism and demanding such an extreme step is simply irrational," he wrote. R P Singh pointed out that the Indian cricket team played a match against Pakistan just days before the Pahalgam massacre. "Did FWICE or others object then? TV news channels routinely invite Pakistani guests to boost TRPs. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Should those anchors now relinquish their citizenship too? Let's not cheapen nationalism or weaponise patriotism. FWICE should reconsider its stance—such targeting of our own talent only weakens our moral standing," he added. Punjabi actor and BJP culture cell convener Hobby Dhaliwal, too, extended support to Diljit at a press conference at the party's Chandigarh office. Dhaliwal said that Diljit was not just an artist but a globally respected face of Punjabi culture. "At a time of national tension, attempts are being made to defame him with baseless allegations. This is unfortunate and condemnable," he said. "Diljit is the son of this soil. Punjab stands with him—and India too," Dhaliwal said, while being flanked by Punjab BJP media cell in-charge Vineet Joshi. He expressed regret that certain elements were now demanding the cancellation of his citizenship and a ban on his films. He felt the demand was not only unjustified, but politically motivated and entirely baseless. "Every citizen is patriotic, but using this as a pretext to target a single artist is wrong. BJP stands firmly with Diljit Dosanjh," he added. Shiromani Akali Dal leader and former Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee chief Manjit Singh GK too issued a statement in his support and questioned what he called the "selective targeting" of Diljit. He said the way Diljit was being targeted appeared like an "undeclared emergency". "He represented the country and Punjab, and has become an icon," G K said. He also questioned the silence of the present DSGMC leadership. On the other hand, singer Mika Singh came under attack from the X handle @Tractor2twitr_P, which is popular for its stance on pro-farmer issues in Punjab and Haryana. "Weeks before the Uri attack, @MikaSingh flew to Karachi to sing at the wedding of a billionaire who was a close aide of Parvez Musharraf, the mastermind of the Kargil war. Today he is lecturing @diljitdosanjh for acting alongside a Pakistani artist in a film produced, directed, and cast by someone else," read a post on the handle.