US Presses Pakistan to Condemn Pahalgam Attack, De-escalate Tensions with India

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has urged Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharifto strongly condemn the "unconscionable" terrorist attack in Pahalgam and take immediate steps to de-escalate tensions with India to preserve peace and stability in South Asia.

In a statement released by U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, Rubio also encouraged Pakistan to support investigative efforts and reestablish direct communication channels with India.

Both leaders reaffirmed their shared commitment to hold terrorists accountable for their acts of violence, the statement added.

The diplomatic outreach comes in the wake of a brutal terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, in which 26 people — most of them tourists — were killed and dozens injured. The attack has been attributed to Pakistan-sponsored terrorists, triggering a sharp escalation in cross-border hostilities.

Since the incident, there has been a marked increase in ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir. Indian security forces have intensified anti-terror operations across the Kashmir Valley, officials said.

Tensions have further escalated as both countries have imposed retaliatory measures. India and Pakistan have blocked each other’s airlines from using their airspace, and India has suspended the Indus Waters Treaty and shut down the Integrated Check Post at Attari. The Indian government has also moved to reduce the strength of diplomatic missions on both sides.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a strong statement following the attack, vowed that India would relentlessly pursue and punish the perpetrators and their supporters.

"I say to the whole world, India will identify, trace, and punish every terrorist and their backers. We will pursue them to the ends of the Earth," Modi said. "India's spirit will never be broken by terrorism."

The Indian Army has responded firmly to multiple ceasefire violations by Pakistani forces. Army officials reported retaliatory action on the nights of April 26–27 and April 27–28 in sectors opposite Kupwara, Poonch, Tutmari Gali, and Rampur.

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by Prime Minister Modi, met shortly after the Pahalgam attack. Officials briefed the CCS on the cross-border planning and execution of the attack, which came shortly after peaceful elections in Jammu and Kashmir and amid the region's ongoing developmental progress.

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