End support to terrorist groups, US secretary of state Marco Rubio tells Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif

NEW DELHI: Amid the threat of an all-out war between India and Pakistan, US secretary of state Marco Rubio dialled his counterpart S Jaishankar and Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif, seeking immediate de-escalation and expressing support for direct dialogue between the two countries.

While the US readouts of the two conversations said Rubio encouraged continued efforts to improve communications, Jaishankar later on X said he told Rubio that India will firmly counter any escalation by Pakistan.

In the case of Shehbaz, while he expressed sorrow for the reported loss of "civilian lives in the current conflict", Rubio reiterated his calls for Pakistan to take concrete steps to end any support for terrorist groups. Pakistan has accused India of killing civilians but India has maintained that its May 7 strikes were targeted only at terrorists and their infrastructure, not civilians.

In the case of India, he reiterated his condolences for the terrorist attack in Pahalgam and reaffirmed the US's commitment to work with India in the fight against terrorism. Appreciating the US support on terrorism, Jaishankar told Rubio that India will firmly counter any attempts at escalation by Pakistan, underlining India's measured response to cross-border terrorism. The conversation took place in the middle of fresh clashes between India and Pakistan late on Thursday that sparked fears of a major escalation. Jaishankar also spoke to his EU and Italy counterparts late evening, as tensions soared.

Jaishankar also told his visiting Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araqchi, that it's not India's intention to escalate, but if there's any military attack on India, it will be met with a "very, very firm response". Jaishankar also met Saudi Arabia junior foreign minister Adel Aljubeir and, as he said in a post on X, shared India's perspective on firmly countering terrorism.

While the Iranian minister was in India on a pre-arranged visit for the regular India-Iran joint commission meeting, Aljubeir arrived here for an unannounced visit. Both countries have been in touch with top Indian and Pakistani leadership, looking to defuse tensions.

Araqchi and Aljubeir both urged restraint and de-escalation. "We hope that India and Pakistan will prevent the escalation of tension in the region. Our region needs peace, especially to expand economic cooperation between regional countries, and we hope this will happen," said Araqchi.

The EU also strongly urged de-escalation, while condemning terrorism. Every state has the duty and the right lawfully to protect its citizens from acts of terror, said the EU in a statement. "The EU calls on both parties to exercise restraint, to de-escalate tensions and desist from further attacks to safeguard civilian lives on both sides. The EU urges both sides to engage in dialogue. It is vital that India and Pakistan also live up to their obligations under international law and take all measures possible to protect civilian lives," said the statement.

Amid global calls for restraint, foreign secretary Vikram Misri said there has been a recognition among the international community of the fact that the Pahalgam attack was of barbaric nature, and of India's right to respond to it. "There is also a recognition of the fact that in responding, we have been nothing but responsible and have done so in a restrained, measured, and non-escalatory manner. I think that counts for something," he added.