G7 calls for immediate de-escalation, direct dialogue between India, Pakistan

Amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan, the G7 nations have called for restraint and urged both countries to engage in direct dialogue following a series of military strikes.

In a joint statement issued on May 9, the G7 foreign ministers, representing Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, strongly condemned the attack on the tourists in Kashmir. “We strongly condemn the April 22 attack on tourists in Indian Kashmir,” the statement read, Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media.

The group also expressed concern over the recent escalation, calling on both India and Pakistan to show restraint. "We urge maximum restraint from both India and Pakistan,” the statement continued. The G7 urged the two nuclear-armed nations to prioritize de-escalation in order to avoid further violence.

In the same statement, the G7 reiterated their call for both sides to engage in direct dialogue, emphasizing the importance of peaceful resolution. "We call for immediate de-escalation and encourage both countries to engage in direct dialogue towards a peaceful outcome," the statement stated.

The escalating conflict was triggered by a deadly attack on tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir on April 22, which prompted India to launch retaliatory strikes inside Pakistan.

Since the cross-border strikes began on May 7, the situation has grown increasingly tense. India launched attacks inside Pakistan, claiming the targets were militant bases responsible for the attack on the tourists in Kashmir. India has accused Pakistan of backing the attackers, a charge that Pakistan has firmly denied. In retaliation, Pakistan has vowed to respond to India’s strikes, further intensifying the conflict.

Pakistan has reported that India launched missile strikes on several key military installations, including one located near the capital, Islamabad. In swift retaliation, Pakistan’s armed forces initiated a counteroffensive against Indian targets, marking a significant escalation in hostilities between the two neighboring nuclear-armed states.

India launched "Operation Sindoor" on May 7, conducting coordinated strikes across both Pakistani territory and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, claiming the offensive was aimed at dismantling what it described as a “terrorist infrastructure.”

By Vafa Guliyeva