The foreign ministers of the G7 countries have released a statement amid escalating India-Pakistan clashes:
“We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America and the High Representative of the European Union, strongly condemn the egregious terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22 and urge maximum restraint from both India and Pakistan. Further military escalation poses a serious threat to regional stability. We are deeply concerned for the safety of civilians on both sides.
We call for immediate de-escalation and encourage both countries to engage in direct dialogue towards a peaceful outcome. We continue to monitor events closely and express our support for a swift and lasting diplomatic resolution.”
Calls for de-escalation are going unheeded, with the conflict continuing to intensify. Clashes have spread beyond Kashmir, and there are growing indications of a general mobilization of troops. Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif has called a meeting of the national command authority. The prospect of a full-scale war between two nuclear-armed nations has the world on edge.
Spencer Fernando
Image – YouTube
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