WASHINGTON: Pakistan has urged US President Donald Trump to help defuse escalating tensions with India, warning that the situation risks spiralling into a nuclear confrontation.

“This is one nuclear flashpoint,” said Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US Rizwan Saeed Sheikh in an interview with Fox News Digital. “It could be an important part of President Trump’s legacy to attend to this situation — not with a Band-Aid solution, but by addressing the core issue: the Kashmir dispute.”

The ambassador described India’s response to the recent attack in Pahalgam as both premature and inflammatory. “Within minutes of the attack, India began levelling accusations against Pakistan,” he said, noting that a post-incident report was filed just 10 minutes after the event, despite the remote and rugged terrain where it occurred.

So far, the United States and other major powers have urged both India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and avoid actions that could inflame tensions. While reaffirming their partnerships with both countries, Western governments have consistently called for dialogue and a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute.

Kashmir issue requires more than ‘Band-Aid solution’, Amb Rizwan Sheikh tells Fox News

The US State Department, in particular, has emphasised the need for diplomatic engagement to reduce the risk of miscalculation.

India maintains that the Pahalgam attack was carried out by militants based in Pakistan and has urged Washington to hold Islamabad accountable — an allegation Pakistan firmly denies.

In response, Pakistan has called on the US to go beyond general appeals for restraint and take a more active role in preventing conflict. Ambassador Sheikh warned that the entire region, home to over 1.5 billion people, is being held “hostage to the war hysteria” created by the Indian government and media, who immediately “began beating war drums”.

“Any misadventure or miscalculation can lead to a nuclear interface,” the ambassador said. “That is certainly not desirable in such a densely populated region.”

He pointed to Pakistan’s request for evidence linking it to the attack and Islamabad’s offer to participate in a neutral, transparent inquiry — both of which, he said, remain unanswered.

The United States has strongly condemned the terrorist attack and backed India’s demand to bring the perpetrators to justice, while urging both sides to avoid further escalation.

However, Washington has stopped short of endorsing India’s call to hold Pakistan responsible. The closest it came was on Thursday, when US Vice President JD Vance said he hoped Pakistan would cooperate with India in tracking down those behind the attack.

But he also cautioned against a broader fallout. “Our hope here is that India responds to this terrorist attack in a way that doesn’t lead to a broader regional conflict,” Mr Vance said in an interview on Fox News’ Special Report with Bret Baier.

India has expressed frustration over Washington’s cautious stance, which it sees as falling short of its expectations. Despite strong condemnation of the attack and calls for justice, the US has avoided explicitly blaming Pakistan or endorsing New Delhi’s demand for direct accountability.

This calibrated approach underscores Washington’s desire to maintain strategic ties with both nations, but it has left India dissatisfied as it seeks stronger international backing in its campaign against cross-border militancy.

Published in Dawn, May 4th, 2025