 A mosque in Muzaffarabad, Pakistan-administered Kashmir, was destroyed after an Indian attack on May 7, 2025. (Photo: Reuters) |
In a statement on Tuesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his deep concern, calling on India and Pakistan to exercise maximum military restraint. He said the UN believes the international community cannot tolerate a military confrontation between India and Pakistan, two nuclear-armed powers.
The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting Monday to discuss the tensions, with all parties emphasizing the need for dialogue to avoid conflict.
The UN chief said: “Tensions between India and Pakistan are at their highest in years. And so it pains me to see relations reaching a boiling point. It is essential – especially at this critical hour – that India and Pakistan avoid a military confrontation that could easily spin out of control. Now is the time for maximum restraint and stepping back from the brink.”
US President Donald Trump expressed regret over the current situation between India and Pakistan and called on both sides to end the tension. Trump termed the tension a shame, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US is closely monitoring the situation and will engage with the leaders from both countries to seek a solution.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement calling on India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and prioritize peace and stability. “We call on both India and Pakistan to prioritise the overall situation of peace and stability, maintain calm and restraint, and avoid taking actions that would further complicate the situation.”
Pakistani authorities reported that the attacks on Tuesday by the Indian army on Pakistani-controlled territory in Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab province had resulted in 8 deaths, 2 missing, and 35 injuries as of Wednesday.
Pakistan claimed to have shot down 5 Indian fighter jets. The Indian military has not confirmed the claim, but acknowledged that at least one fighter jet crashed in Indian-controlled Kashmir and the pilot was recovered.
The current conflict was triggered after India accused Pakistan of supporting a terrorist group responsible for an attack on April 22 in Pahalgam in Indian-controlled Jammu & Kashmir that killed 26 people.
Pakistan has denied the accusation. Observers say the present conflict exceeds the scale of the 2019 clashes between India and Pakistan.