Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Jeremy Hunt spoke over the phone on Tuesday regarding the evolving situation of peace and security in the region, particularly in the context of Pulwama incident.

Qureshi, according to a press release issued by the Foreign Office, informed his British counterpart that despite aggressive rhetoric emanating from India, Pakistan has offered cooperation in investigating the Pulwama incident and asked the Modi government to share actionable evidence in this regard.

The foreign minister underscored that Pakistan desires a peaceful neighbourhood and would not allow its territory to be used against anyone, and that it remains committed to working for peace and stability in the region. He urged the UK to use its influence to defuse tensions in the region.

Hunt, the British secretary of state, said that the UK was carefully monitoring the situation, and urged restraint on all sides. He assured that the UK would play its due role in reducing tensions between the two South Asian neighbours as he encouraged resolution of issues in a peaceful manner.

The two foreign ministers agreed to remain in contact and continue to consult each other on issues of mutual interest.

Tensions between Pakistan and India have sharply spiked since last week’s attack on Central Reserve Police Force in Indian-Occupied Kashmir in which 44 security personnel were killed. Hostile statements by Indian leaders and provocative reporting by Indian media have added to the already tense environment. Besides the war hysteria, India has initiated non-kinetic punitive measures against Pakistan and removed the Most Favoured Nation trade tag for Pakistan and lobbied to retain Pakistan on the Financial Action Task Force’s grey list.