By Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam and Shivam Patel
ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI (Reuters) – The United Nations Security Council has urged India and Pakistan to ease tension and avoid military conflict, Pakistan said on Tuesday, as hostilities between the nuclear-armed rivals surge after a deadly attack on tourists in disputed Kashmir.
Council members were briefed on the situation in the region and told of intelligence indicating an “imminent threat” of action by India, the South Asian nation’s foreign ministry said, referring to the council’s meeting on Monday in New York.
“They called for dialogue and diplomacy to diffuse tension and avoid military confrontation … and to peacefully resolve issues,” the ministry said in a statement.
India’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the meeting, which had been sought by Islamabad.
The two sides have shored up defences as ties plummeted after the April 22 attack that targeted Hindu tourists, killing 26. India accused Pakistan of involvement, saying two of the three suspected attackers were Pakistani nationals.
Islamabad has denied the accusation but says it is fully prepared to defend itself in case of attack, prompting world powers to call for a calming of tension.
Pakistan has held two missile tests in three days and India unveiled plans for civil defence drills in several states on Tuesday, from sounding air raid sirens to evacuation plans.
Pakistan is currently a non-permanent member of the Security Council. India is not, but New Delhi has been in talks with council members ahead of Monday’s meeting.
An Indian source familiar with the discussion said many members expressed concern that Pakistan’s missile tests and nuclear rhetoric were “escalatory” factors.
“Pakistan’s efforts to internationalise the situation also failed,” said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “They were advised to sort out the issues bilaterally with India.”
On Monday, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres emphasised the need to avoid a military confrontation that could “easily spin out of control”, adding, “Now is the time for maximum restraint, and stepping back from the brink.”
The rivals announced a slew of measures against each other after the violence, from suspending trade and a key water treaty to closing their airspace and reducing embassy staff.
Rating agency Moody’s has warned the standoff could weigh on Pakistan’s $350-billion economy, which is still recovering from an economic crisis that pushed it to the brink of default on external debt obligations in 2023.
Higher defence spending could also weigh on India’s fiscal strength and slow its fiscal consolidation, it added.
Kashmir has been at the heart of the hostility between India and Pakistan for decades, and India has previously also accused Pakistan of aiding Islamist separatists battling security forces in its part of the territory. Islamabad denies the accusation.
(Writing by Sakshi Dayal; Editing by YP Rajesh and Clarence Fernandez)
