New Delhi: Pakistan’s National Security Adviser Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik spoke with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss the situation following India’s precision strikes on terrorist infrastructure in Operation Sindoor.
The Indian air strikes were a direct response to last month’s Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, including a Nepali citizen.
Reports indicate that the conversation between Malik and Rubio centered on regional stability and the rising tensions between India and Pakistan after the strikes, which India described as being carried out in a “calibrated and non-escalatory” manner.
Shortly after the strikes, Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval had also briefed Rubio on the action taken.
“I am monitoring the situation between India and Pakistan closely. I echo President Trump’s comments earlier today that this hopefully ends quickly and will continue to engage both Indian and Pakistani leadership towards a peaceful resolution,” Rubio stated on his ‘X’ account following the conversations with both NSAs.
In a post on X, US Department of State wrote, ” Earlier this afternoon, @SecRubio spoke to the national security advisors from India and Pakistan. He urged both to keep lines of communication open and avoid escalation.”
Earlier in the day, US President Donald Trump reacted to the developments, saying in a press conference, “It’s a shame… I guess we knew something was going to happen based on a little bit of the past.”
India launched Operation Sindoor, targeting nine terrorist sites in Pakistan, including in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The Ministry of Defence described the strikes as a “precise and restrained response” to the 22 April terror attack in Pahalgam, highlighting that no Pakistani military installations were targeted.
In a statement issued the same day, the Indian Embassy in Washington DC emphasised that India had expected Pakistan to take action against the terrorists and the infrastructure supporting them. “Instead, during the fortnight that has gone by, Pakistan has indulged in denial and made allegations of false flag operations against India,” the statement said.
The embassy also reiterated that India’s strikes were “measured, responsible, and designed to be non-escalatory,” with only “known terror camps” being targeted.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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