Pakistan PM Sharif, US top diplomat Rubio discuss tensions with India

- Tensions between nuclear-armed rivals have escalated since April 22 attack in Kashmir which left 26 people dead

KARACHI, Pakistan

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif received on Wednesday a telephone call from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio as part of Washington's efforts to ease escalating tensions between Pakistan and India, an official statement from Islamabad said.

The conversation came a day after the US State Department said Rubio would speak to Indian and Pakistani officials to urge them not to escalate tensions over the April 22 attack in India-administered Kashmir that left 26 people dead.

Sharif shared with Rubio Pakistan’s “perspective” on recent developments in South Asia, since the attack in Pahalgam touristic resort in Indian-administered Kashmir, his office said.

While condemning terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, Sharif underscored Pakistan’s "leading" role in the war against terror and its sacrifice of over 90,000 lives lost and over $152 billion in economic losses.

"Terming India’s escalatory and provocative behavior as deeply disappointing and worrisome,” Sharif said: “India’s provocations would only serve to distract Pakistan from its ongoing efforts to defeat terrorism, particularly from militant groups including ISKP (Islamic State) TTP (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan) and BLA (Balochistan Liberation Army) operating from Afghan soil," the statement added.

Sharif rejected Indian “attempts to link” Pakistan to the incident and reiterated his call for a transparent, credible, and neutral investigation to bring out the facts, according to the statement.

He urged the US to impress upon India to "dial down the rhetoric and act responsibly.”

Pointing to India’s move to suspend decades-old Indus Waters Treaty, Sharif said it was “most regrettable that India had chosen to “weaponize water, which was a lifeline for 240 million people of Pakistan.”

Sharif stressed that the crucial water-sharing treaty had no provision for either side to unilaterally renege from its commitments.

The Pakistani leader emphasized that peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute was the “only way to ensure lasting peace in South Asia.”

Rubio, according to the statement, "emphasized the need for both sides to continue working together for peace and stability in South Asia."

The Pahalgam attack has further strained the already tense relations between Pakistan and India over the Kashmir region.