News
May 02, 2025
Friends Offer Help to Calm South Asian Tempers
Islamabad: Saudi Arabia and Iran on Friday offered to mediate between Pakistan and India, urging restraint as tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors escalated following an attack in India-held Kashmir, earlier this week.
The April 22 attack in Pahalgam saw 26 people , mostly tourists, killed in what is being described as the deadliest armed attack in the disputed Himalayan region since the year 2000.
India has implied cross-border linkages of the attackers, while Pakistan strongly denied any involvement.
With both countries engaging in aggressive diplomatic, economic, and military posturing, the rapidly deteriorating relations have revived fears of a military confrontation similar to the 2019 Balakot crisis .
Amid growing international concern, Saudi Arabia and Iran, both of whom have good ties with the two countries, offered help to defuse tensions.
Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan held separate phone calls with his Pakistani and Indian counterparts.
A statement from the Foreign Office said Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar discussed regional developments with Mr Farhan, rejecting India’s accusations and cautioning against “further escalatory moves”.
The statement said Mr Dar reaffirmed Pakistan’s determination to respond firmly to any aggression and that both leaders agreed to continue consultations.
In a statement on X, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said he discussed the Pahalgam attack and its “cross-border linkages” with the Saudi foreign minister.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also offered mediation via a post on X.
“India and Pakistan are brotherly neighbors of Iran, enjoying relations rooted in centuries-old cultural and civilizational ties,” he wrote. He added that Tehran was ready to “use its good offices in Islamabad and New Delhi to forge greater understanding at this difficult time”.
In a late-night statement after Aragchi’s call, the Foreign Office said, “DPM [Dar] … appreciated the efforts of Iran to defuse the situation in the region.”
Earlier, in his weekly briefing on Friday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan had said that if any country offered mediation, Pakistan will consider it “at that point in time”.
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