US playing leading role in easing tensions with India, says Pakistan's Defence Minister Asif

Pakistan has confirmed that an international effort is ongoing to ease tensions with India.

Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told Reuters on Thursday that the United States has been playing a leading role in efforts to ease tensions with India.

Tensions between India and Pakistan are currently at the highest in years. Last month, Pakistan-sponsored terrorists killed 26 people in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam.

In the early hours of Wednesday, India responded with airstrikes on nine terrorist sites in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK) under Operation Sindoor. The sites also included headquarters of terrorist groups Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).

Since Wednesday, India and Pakistan have been exchanging fire at the border and have had two rounds of exchange of missiles and drones.

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Even as Asif said that the United States was leading efforts to ease tensions, he said that an attack by Pakistan on India looks “increasingly certain” in the wake of this morning’s attacks by India.

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Shortly after Asif was reported as saying that the United States was leading efforts to ease tensions between India and Pakistan, it was reported that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had called Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The details of their conversation were not known by press-time.

India said that it struck Pakistani radar and air defence systems this morning and said that an air defence system in Pakistan, the centre of political power in Pakistan, had been destroyed. India said that strikes were in response to Pakistan’s attempted missile and drone strikes across northern and western India last night. India said that those missiles and drones were succesfully intercepted by Indian air defences.

Pakistan has vowed to respond to this morning’s Indian strikes. Later in the day, Shehbaz held an emergency meeting with the country’s top civilian and military leaders, according to Gew News.

Yesterday, the Shehbaz-chaired National Security Committee (NSC) authorised the Pakistani military to attack India with force they deem fit at the time and place of their choice.