Rubio Urges De-escalation in Calls to India and Pakistan

May 3—U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been actively engaging with Indian and Pakistani leaders since April 30, seeking to ease tensions following the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam.

In a call with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Rubio expressed sorrow for the lives lost and reaffirmed U.S. cooperation with India against terrorism, according to a State Department readout. He also encouraged India to work with Pakistan to de-escalate tensions and maintain peace and security in South Asia.

Rubio, who is also serving as interim National Security Advisor, later spoke with Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, emphasizing the need to condemn the Pahalgam attack and hold terrorists accountable. The State Department reported that Rubio urged Pakistani cooperation in investigating the attack and encouraged direct communication with India to prevent further escalation.

According to a statement from the Pakistani Prime Minister’s Office, Shehbaz Sharif urged Rubio to convince India to tone down its rhetoric and act responsibly amid rising tensions. An AP report published in Dawn quoted Sharif as calling India’s "escalatory and provocative behavior" deeply disappointing, warning that such actions distract Pakistan from its counterterrorism efforts against groups like ISKP, TTP, and BLA operating from Afghan soil.

Sharif also categorically rejected India’s attempts to link Pakistan to the Pahalgam attack, calling for a transparent, credible, and neutral investigation to establish the facts.

Jaishankar, in a brief statement on X, reiterated that the attack’s perpetrators, backers, and planners must be brought to justice.

Meanwhile, a viral video circulating online claimed featured President Donald Trump warning Pakistan against attacking India, stating that the U.S. would defend India and "wipe out Pakistan." However, the video has been exposed as an AI-generated and fake. Trump did condemn the Pahalgam attack in remarks aboard Air Force One; he emphasized maintaining strong ties with both India and Pakistan rather than issuing any threats.