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Pakistan Ramps Up Diplomatic Push Amid Rising Tensions with India

May 2, 2025

By The South Asia Times

ISLAMABAD – Pakistan intensified its diplomatic outreach on Thursday in the wake of rising tensions with India following a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that left 26 tourists dead, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, reaffirming Pakistan’s condemnation of terrorism "in all its forms and manifestations." He also reiterated his call for a credible, transparent, and impartial international investigation into the Pahalgam attack, Anadolu Agency reported.

The Qatari emir praised Pakistan’s efforts to promote peace in South Asia and expressed Doha’s willingness to cooperate with Islamabad in easing regional tensions.

In Islamabad, Sharif also met with Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong to discuss the regional situation. The Prime Minister’s Office noted that Sharif conveyed Pakistan’s “sincere appreciation for China’s strong and consistent support amid the current South Asian crisis.”

Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, meanwhile, held a series of conversations with international counterparts. On Thursday, he spoke with the foreign ministers of South Korea, Slovenia, and Somalia to brief them on the escalating situation. A day earlier, he engaged with counterparts from Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Hungary, and the United Arab Emirates.

In Washington, Pakistan’s top diplomat Rizwan Saeed Sheikh urged U.S. President Donald Trump to play a role in reducing tensions. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also called for restraint between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.

Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has similarly been active, holding discussions with foreign ministers from South Korea, the U.S., Denmark, Kuwait, the UAE, Algeria, Slovenia, Somalia, and others over the past two days.

The attack in Pahalgam has further strained already fragile ties between India and Pakistan over the disputed Kashmir region.