UN chief calls EAM Jaishankar and Pakistan PM Shehbaz, urges de-escalation after Pahalgam attack

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday spoke separately with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shebaz Sharif and urged the two countries to de-escalate tensions after the deadly Pahalgam terror attack.

“The Secretary-General expressed his deep concern at rising tensions between India and Pakistan and underscored the need to avoid a confrontation that could result in tragic consequences. He offered his Good Offices to support de-escalation efforts,” Reuters quoted UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric as saying.

In a call with Jaishankar, Guterres reiterated his condemnation of the attack, noting the importance of pursuing justice and accountability for these attacks through lawful means.

President of the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly Philemon Yang is also “deeply concerned” by the escalation of violence between India and Pakistan, PTI quoted Spokesperson for Office of the President of the General Assembly Sharon Birch as saying at a press briefing.

Yang extended his sincere condolences to the families of the victims of the attacks, and “stresses that the targeting of civilians is unacceptable and cannot be justified under any circumstances. He calls on both parties to exercise maximum restraint and to resolve this dispute through diplomatic means,” Birch added.

India and Pakistan have taken a raft of measures against each other since the April 22 Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 people.

Delhi has blamed Islamabad for the attack while Pakistan has denied any role and called for a neutral probe.

With inputs from agencies