US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called on India and Pakistan to work together to ease tensions after last week’s militant attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), the State Department said on Wednesday.
Rubio spoke separately with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Wednesday. He also urged Pakistan to cooperate in investigating the attack that killed more than two dozen people, according to separate statements issued by the State Department after the calls.
“The Secretary spoke of the need to condemn the terror attack on April 22 in Pahalgam,” said State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce.
“Both leaders reaffirmed their continued commitment to holding terrorists accountable for their heinous acts of violence.”
The Secretary urged Pakistani officials to cooperate fully in investigating what he described as an unconscionable attack. He also encouraged Pakistan to work with India to reduce tensions, restore direct communication, and promote peace and security in South Asia, Bruce added.
Earlier, Pakistan issued its own statement about the high-level contact. It said that Prime Minister Shehbaz received a phone call from Secretary Rubio and shared Pakistan’s perspective on recent events in South Asia following the Pahalgam incident.
While condemning terrorism in all its forms, the Prime Minister highlighted Pakistan’s leading role in the fight against terror, noting that the country had sacrificed over 90,000 lives and suffered more than $152 billion in economic losses, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.
Describing India’s recent actions as “escalatory and provocative”, PM Shehbaz called them deeply disappointing and warned they could distract Pakistan from its efforts to combat terrorism, particularly from groups like ISKP (Daesh), TTP and BLA operating from Afghan territory.
He firmly rejected India’s attempts to link Pakistan to the Pahalgam attack and repeated his call for a transparent, credible, and neutral investigation.
He urged the United States to press India to lower its rhetoric and behave responsibly.
The Prime Minister also criticised India’s actions over water rights, calling it regrettable that India had “weaponised” water — a vital resource for 240 million Pakistanis. He stressed that the Indus Waters Treaty does not allow either country to unilaterally back out of its commitments.
He concluded by emphasising that a peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute was the only way to secure lasting peace in the region.
Secretary Rubio thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz for the detailed discussion and stressed the importance of both countries continuing to work for peace and stability in South Asia.
Rubio urges India to de-escalate tensions
Later, Secretary Rubio also held a phone call with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Bruce said in a separate statement.
“The Secretary expressed sorrow for the lives lost in the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam, and reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to cooperation with India against terrorism,” she said.
“He also encouraged India to work with Pakistan to de-escalate tensions and maintain peace and security in South Asia,” the spokesperson added.