US urges 'immediate de-escalation' between India and Pakistan
The
US secretary of state,
Marco Rubio, “emphasised the need for immediate de-escalation” as he held separate calls with
Pakistan’s prime minister,
Shehbaz Sharif, and
India’s external affairs minister,
Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, on Thursday.
A readout of the call between Rubio and Jaishankar by the US state department reads:
The Secretary emphasized the need for immediate de-escalation. He expressed US support for direct dialogue between India and Pakistan and encouraged continued efforts to improve communications.
Rubio “reiterated his condolences for the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam and reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to work with
India in the fight against terrorism,” the readout says.