Key points
- Pakistan PM calls for neutral probe into Pahalgam incident
- Washington urges Pakistan to cooperate in investigation
- Rubio condemns Pahalgam attack without criticising Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday urged India and Pakistan to work with each other to de-escalate tensions, the State Department said.
Rubio spoke separately with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
Shehbaz Sharif briefed Marco Rubio on Pakistan’s perspective regarding recent developments in South Asia, following the Pahalgam incident.
While condemning terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, PM Shehbaz underscored Pakistan’s leading role in the war against terror and its sacrifice of over 90,000 lives and over $152 billion in economic losses.
Diplomatic engagements
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.
According to Reuters, Pakistan remains Washington’s ally.
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 the attack, the State Department said. Sharif’s office said he asked Rubio to urge India “to dial down the rhetoric.”
Terming India’s “escalatory and provocative behaviour as deeply disappointing and worrisome”, the prime minister said that India’s provocations” would only serve to distract Pakistan from its ongoing efforts to defeat terrorism, particularly from militant groups including ISKP, TTP and BLA operating from Afghan soil.
Transparent investigation
He categorically rejected Indian attempts to link Pakistan to the incident and pointed to his call for a transparent, credible and neutral investigation to bring out the facts.
He urged the US to impress upon India to dial down the rhetoric and act responsibly.
On bilateral cooperation, the prime minister highlighted that Pakistan and the US had worked together closely over the past 70 years and there was a lot that both sides could cooperate on, including counter-terrorism and enhanced economic cooperation, particularly the minerals sector.
Major economic reforms
According to APP news agency, he also stressed that his government had undertaken major economic reforms over the past one year and consequently, Pakistan was now on the road to economic recovery.
The prime minister also conveyed his good wishes for President Donald Trump, while expressing Pakistan’s desire to work closely with the US Administration on all areas of mutual interest.
