EU foreign policy chief urges Pakistan, India to ease ongoing tension

Celina Ali

Islamabad: The European Union foreign policy chief this week urged Pakistan and India to defuse the ongoing tension.

Kaja Kalas stated on X that she spoke with the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Ishaq Dar, and that “I urge both sides to show restraint and pursue dialogue to ease the situation.” She remarked, “Escalation helps no one.”

The development came amid rising tensions between the two nuclear neighbours following the April 22 Pahalgam attack by unidentified gunmen in occupied Kashmir, which killed 26 people.

New Delhi claimed the attack had “cross-border links,” which Islamabad denied, and demanded a joint investigation into the incident.

In the last several days, the armies of the two South Asian countries exchanged small arms fire across the Line of Control.

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said that the country will not be the first to resort to escalation, but that it will respond “very strongly” if India does.