India-Pakistan Conflict Escalates as G7 Calls for Peace
World powers have raised the alarm over the latest escalation in the decades-old India-Pakistan rivalry. India hit Pakistan with air strikes and missiles on Wednesday, and since then, both countries have been clashing daily. Dozens have been killed.
Among the G7 powers, the U.S. has held regular talks with both India and Pakistan in recent days and urged them to de-escalate.
After a call on Friday between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir, the U.S. State Department said Rubio offered U.S. assistance “in starting constructive talks to avoid future conflicts.”
Rubio has also held regular calls with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar since the end of April.
President Donald Trump said earlier this week that the rising tensions were a shame. U.S. Vice President JD Vance said a war between the two countries would be “none of our business.”
In recent years, Western powers have seen India as an important partner to counter China’s rising influence. Pakistan is a U.S. ally, although its importance has diminished since Washington’s 2021 withdrawal from neighboring Afghanistan.
In a statement, the foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the U.S., Britain, and the European Union said they “strongly condemn” an April 22 Islamist militant attack in which 26 people were killed in India-administered Kashmir. India blamed Pakistan, which denied the accusations and called for a neutral probe.
“We call for immediate de-escalation and encourage both countries to engage in direct dialogue towards a peaceful outcome,” the G7 statement said.
The Muslim-majority Himalayan region of Kashmir is claimed in full but ruled only in part by both India and Pakistan. It has been the site of wars, insurgency, and diplomatic standoffs over the decades.
Pakistan said this week that New Delhi and Islamabad have had contacts at the level of their respective national security councils.
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