Washington (TDI): The United States said on Monday it was in contact with both Pakistan and India and urged both countries to work towards a “responsible solution” as tensions escalated following Pahalgam attack.
A US State Department spokesperson said that Washington is “monitoring developments closely” and has engaged with both sides at multiple levels, according to Reuters.
The US reaffirmed its support for India following the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, where over two dozen tourists were killed. Islamabad has denied any involvement and called for a neutral probe.
“This is an evolving situation,” the State Department spokesperson said, adding the United States supports New Delhi and strongly condemns the terrorist attack.
On April 23, India announced to disrupt the flow of water to Pakistan by unilaterally suspending the Indus Waters Treaty.
New Delhi also ordered to limit staff members at Pakistan’s diplomatic mission as well as the departure of Pakistani nationals visiting India.
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Pakistan, for its part, has announced it will suspend all the bilateral agreements with India, including the treaty related to the line of control.
Anti-Muslim sentiment in India is also growing, with extremists are harassing Kashmiri students studying in different cities, while many of them feeling compelled to return home.
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Five days after the terrorist incident, in which gunmen killed twenty-six tourists, India has not officially identified any group as having carried out the attack, and it has publicly presented little evidence to back its claim that Pakistan was involved.
A military confrontation between Pakistan and India, both nuclear powers, has the risk of immediate escalation that could be difficult to control.
But New Delhi seems largely unrestrained by any international pressure to limit its war-mongering tactics.
