Diplomacy in overdrive to avert military escalation

Express Tribune

02-05-2025

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Amid seething tensions exasperated by angry rhetoric from the two nuclear-armed neighbours, Pakistan on Thursday went into a diplomatic overdrive in an attempt to prevent military escalation with India.
In a flurry of diplomatic activity, the country's top leadership and diplomats in key Western capitals contacted leaders and envoys to brief them on fallacies in the Indian narrative about the Phalgam incident.
The diplomatic push came a day after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke by telephone to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and urged them to work with each other to de-escalate tensions.
With the stakes appearing to grow higher by the hour, Chinese ambassador Jiang Zaidong on Thursday called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at his office and emphasised that Beijing would always support Islamabad to achieve the common desire of both the countries to secure peace and stability in South Asia.
Ambassador Jiang thanked the prime minister for sharing Pakistan's perspective on the emerging situation due to Indian baseless propaganda and unilateral action, according to a statement from the PM office. The prime minister conveyed his warm wishes to President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, and expressed Pakistan's sincere thanks to China for its strong and steadfast support to Pakistan in the prevailing situation.
While recalling the recent telephone conversation between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, the premier thanked China for understanding Pakistan's principled position vis-à-vis India's actions since April 22, 2025. In particular, the prime minister thanked China for its endorsement of his offer for a credible, neutral and transparent international investigation into the Pahalgam incident.
The prime minister said that Pakistan has always condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. As a frontline state in the war against terror, Pakistan has sacrificed over 90,000 lives, while suffering over $152 billion in economic losses in its effort to make the country, as well as the rest of the world, a safer place.
He added that India's belligerent actions could distract Pakistan from its ongoing counter-terrorism efforts against ISKP, TTP and BLA, who were operating from inside Afghanistan.
The prime minister said that India's decision to weaponise water was extremely regrettable especially as there was no provision for either party to walk away unilaterally from its commitments under the Indus Waters Treaty. He also underscored that peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute was the only way to ensure lasting peace in South Asia.
The Chinese ambassador thanked the prime minister for sharing Pakistan's perspective and emphasized that China would always support Pakistan to achieve the common desire of both countries to secure peace and stability in South Asia.
PM, Amir of Qatar
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had a telephone conversation with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani Thursday evening and discussed developments in South Asia.
The prime minister thanked the Qatari emir's solidarity and support for Pakistan which reflected the deep-rooted brotherly ties between the two countries. He rejected India's attempts to link Pakistan with the Pahalgam incident without any proof and reiterated his offer for a credible, transparent and neutral international investigation into the incident.
The prime minister expressed serious concerns over India's weaponisation of the waters of the Indus Basin, which he deemed as unacceptable, while emphasising that water was the lifeline of the 240 million people of Pakistan.
Underscoring the hard-earned economic gains over the past one year, the prime minister stressed that Pakistan would gain no conceivable advantage by involving itself in any such incident at a time when it was on the path to economic stability.
The Qatari emir appreciated Pakistan's efforts for peace in South Asia and said that Doha wanted to work with Islamabad towards ensuring de-escalation of the current crisis.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar held a telephone conversation with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Slovenia Tanja Fajon and discussed matters of bilateral and regional interest.
The DPM briefed her on the evolving regional situation, firmly rejecting India's baseless allegations and denounced unilateral actions, including holding the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance - a clear violation of international law.
FM Fajon called on both countries to exercise restraint and resolve issues through diplomacy, in accordance with international law. She welcomed Pakistan's offer for an independent and transparent investigation.
As non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening multilateral cooperation. They also reviewed bilateral relations, and agreed to further deepen ties across all sectors.
Also, Dar apprised South Korea's Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul about the escalating regional situation arising from India's baseless propaganda and unilateral actions, including holding the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance.
The deputy prime minsiter had held a telephone conversation with the Korean Foreign Minister, a DPM's Office news release said.
Expressing concern over the situation, FM Cho underscored the importance of resolving issues through dialogue and diplomacy to maintain regional peace and security.
FM Cho appreciated the successful co-hosting of the Third United Nations Peacekeeping Ministerial Preparatory Meeting, in Islamabad last month. They also agreed to further strengthening bilateral relations through high-level exchanges.
Pak envoy to US
Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, has urged President Donald Trump to step in and help ease soaring tensions between India and Pakistan as the US leader simultaneously strives to solve conflicts in Europe and Middle East.
"If we have a president who is standing for peace in the world as a pronounced objective during this administration, to establish a legacy as a peacemaker, or as someone who finished wars, defied wars and played a role in de-confliction, resolving the disputes, I don't think there is any higher or flashier flash point, particularly in nuclear terms, as Kashmir," Ambassador Sheikh said in an exclusive interview with Newsweek, a mass circulation American weekly magazine.
"We are not talking about one or two countries in that neighbourhood who are nuclear capable. So, that is how grave it is."
Ambassador Sheikh argued that the Trump administration would need to pursue a more comprehensive and sustained initiative than witnessed in past U.S. attempts to defuse crises that have erupted between the two countries.
"So, I think with this threat that we are facing, there is a latent opportunity to address the situation by not just to focus on an immediate de-escalatory measure, or a de-escalatory approach," Sheikh said, "but to try and get this out of the way in a fashion that there is something more durable and lasting in terms of a durable solution of the Kashmir dispute rather than allowing the situation to stay precarious and pop up again and again at the next drop of a hat on this side or that side."
Briefing to OIC's New York group
Pakistan's Ambassador to the UN, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, has told OIC's New York Group of Ambassadors on Wednesday that India posed serious threats to regional peace and stability when he briefed them on the latest situation in South Asia.
A press release issued by the Pakistan Mission to the UN said that Ambassador Asim called India's "behaviour highly provocative, politically motivated and irresponsible."
The OIC members, it said, expressed their full support and solidarity with the government and people of Pakistan.
They emphasized the need for de-escalation through diplomatic engagement and addressing the root causes of the India-Pakistan tensions so as to ensure a just settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in line with the UN Security Council and OIC resolutions.