US urges India and Pakistan to work with each other to reduce tensions

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By Kanishka Singh and Ismail Shakil

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday urged India and Pakistan to work with each other to de-escalate tensions after last week’s Islamist militant attack in India-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people, the State Department said.

Rubio spoke separately with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif while expressing support to India in combating extremism and urging Pakistan to cooperate in probing the attack, the State Department said after Rubio’s calls.

Wednesday’s calls mark the highest levels of publicly known simultaneous diplomatic engagements from Washington aimed at reducing India-Pakistan tensions since the April 22 attack.

India is an important U.S. partner to counter China’s rising influence. Pakistan remains Washington’s ally even as its importance diminished after the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from neighboring Afghanistan.

State Department statements after the calls termed the Kashmir attack as “terror” and “unconscionable,” and said Rubio spoke to Pakistan “of the need to condemn” it.

Rubio “urged Pakistani officials’ cooperation in investigating this unconscionable attack,” the State Department said. Sharif’s office said he asked Rubio to urge India “to dial down the rhetoric.”

Rubio urged the Asian nuclear-armed neighbors to work with each other “to de-escalate tensions, re-establish direct communications, and maintain peace.”

Washington urged other countries to help reduce tensions while asking India and Pakistan to work on a “responsible solution.”

Washington has condemned the attack without criticizing Pakistan. India blamed Pakistan, which denied responsibility, calling for a neutral probe.

Muslim-majority Kashmir is claimed in full by both Hindu-majority India and Islamic Pakistan, which each controls only part of it and have fought wars over it.

After the attack, India suspended a treaty regulating water-sharing, and both countries closed airspace to each other’s airlines. They exchanged fire across their border.

Hindu nationalist Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed to punish those responsible. Pakistan says military action by India was imminent.

(Reporting by Ismail Shakil And Kanishka SinghEditing by Marguerita Choy)