Defence Minister Rajnath Singh holds telephonic talk with US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth
New Delhi, May 1: As tensions flare between India and Pakistan following the deadly April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, the United States has stepped in to urge restraint. US Secretary of defence Pete Hegseth, on May 01, called Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to express his sympathies and condolences for the tragic loss of innocent civilian lives in the recent dastardly attack by terrorists in Pahalgam. During the conversation, Defence minister told the US Secretary of Defence that Pakistan has a history of supporting, training and funding terrorist organisations. “Pakistan has been exposed as a rogue state, fuelling global terrorism, and destabilising the region. The world can no longer turn a blind eye to terrorism,” Rajnath Singh said. He added that it is important for the global community to explicitly and unequivocally condemn & call out such heinous acts of terrorism. The US Secretary of defence reiterated full support of the US government in India’s fight against terrorism. US stands in solidarity with India and supports India’s right to defend itself, he said.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held separate phone calls with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, appealing to both countries to de-escalate and maintain peace in the region.
In a statement, US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said that during his call with Jaishankar, Rubio expressed sorrow over the lives lost in the Pahalgam attack and reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to counterterrorism cooperation with India. “He also encouraged India to work with Pakistan to de-escalate tensions and maintain peace and security in South Asia,” she added. Jaishankar, in a post on X, confirmed the call and reiterated India’s firm stance: “Discussed the Pahalgam terrorist attack with US @SecRubio yesterday. Its perpetrators, backers and planners must be brought to justice.”
Rubio’s conversation with Shehbaz Sharif carried a similar message. The US readout noted that both leaders condemned the terror attack and pledged to hold those responsible accountable. The Secretary also urged Pakistan’s cooperation in investigating the assault and called on Islamabad to resume direct communication with New Delhi.
Pakistan meanwhile appointed Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt Gen Asim Malik as National Security Advisor to Sharif, an additional charge that signals a possible opening for backchannel talks and a coordinated civil-military response. Diplomatic observers and some media reports suggest the appointment may prepare the ground for de-escalatory measures and backdoor diplomacy. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, has reportedly requested US President Donald Trump’s intervention to help defuse the s tensions, according to Newsweek. The US has indicated it is closely monitoring the Kashmir situation.
India, for its part, has launched an active diplomatic campaign to isolate Pakistan and rally international support. Jaishankar has spoken to foreign ministers from seven non-permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC)—Algeria, Greece, Guyana, Panama, Slovenia, Sierra Leone, and Somalia—briefing them on the Pahalgam attack and its broader implications. The outreach has yielded international backing. On April 25, the UNSC condemned the attack in the “strongest terms,” even as Pakistan, reportedly with Chinese support, tried to dilute the statement’s language. UN Secretary General António Guterres also spoke to Jaishankar, expressing solidarity and agreeing on the “importance of accountability.”
“Appreciate his unequivocal condemnation of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam,” Jaishankar posted after the call. “India is resolved that the perpetrators, planners and backers of this attack are brought to justice.”
Gulf nations including Saudi Arabia and Kuwait also reached out to New Delhi, calling for calm. Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya spoke with Jaishankar on Wednesday, expressing concern and urging de-escalation. Saudi Arabia has issued a similar call. The global chorus of support has grown louder. World leaders including US President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and others have condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi received calls from leaders across continents, including those from Japan, Egypt, Jordan, Italy, Iran, Sri Lanka, the UAE, the Netherlands, Australia, and Nepal and several other countries.
As diplomatic pressure mounts and Line of Control between India and Pakistan witnesses increased military boots as wells as heavy artillery forwarded towards some of the important forward positions. Local’ villagers living near the LoC are massively worried and several of them, who had turned their safety bunkers into store rooms in peacetime are hurriedly repairing it or shifting to some safer areas. The coming days will test whether strategic restraint prevails or whether the region risks another cycle of escalation.
