US urges Pakistan, India to work together to ease tensions

Amid rising tensions and warmongering following last week's Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has urged Pakistan and India to work together to ease tensions, the US State Department said on Wednesday.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio conveyed the message in separate calls with Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif and Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.

According to separate statements issued by the State Department after the calls, the US Secretary of State called on Pakistan to cooperate in probing the attack in Pahalgam.

US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said that the Secretary of State encouraged Pakistan to work with India to ease tensions, restore direct communication, and promote peace and security in South Asia.

“The Secretary spoke of the need to condemn the terror attack on April 22 in Pahalgam,” Bruce said, adding that both leaders reaffirmed their continued commitment to holding terrorists accountable for their heinous acts of violence.

A separate readout of Rubio’s conversation with India’s foreign minister shared by Bruce said: “[Secretary of State Marco Rubio] encouraged India to work with Pakistan to de-escalate tensions and maintain peace and security in South Asia.”

Earlier, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in Pakistan also issued a statement, saying that during the call, PM Shehbaz shared Pakistan’s perspective on developments in South Asia since the Pahalgam incident.

Condemning terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, PM Shehbaz termed India’s “escalatory and provocative” behaviour as deeply disappointing and worrisome.

As per the statement, the premier also 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.

Rejecting India’s attempts to link Pakistan to the Pahalgam attack, he repeated his call for a transparent, credible, and neutral investigation.

On the long-standing Indus Water Treaty (IWT), the PM said that India had “weaponised” water, a vital resource for 240 million Pakistanis, emphasising that the IWT did not allow either country to unilaterally back out of its commitments.