The Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers on Friday firmly condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, and urged both India and Pakistan to show restraint amid growing military tensions.
In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States, along with the High Representative of the European Union, criticised the violence and warned against further escalation.
G7calls for immediate dialogue
”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 terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22 and urge maximum restraint from both India and Pakistan,” according to the statement.
The G7 highlighted that further military escalation ”poses a serious threat to regional stability’’ and highlighted concern for civilians, stating, ”We are deeply concerned for the safety of civilians on both sides.”
As tension remains high after retaliatory actions and cross-border exchanges between the two countries, the G7 urged both nations to step back from confrontation and to give priority to peace. ”We call for immediate de-escalation and encourage both countries to engage in direct dialogue towards a peaceful outcome,’’ the ministers mentioned.
The group concludes the statement by reinstating continued global attention on the region, ”We continue to monitor events closely and express our support for a swift and lasting diplomatic resolution.’’
The call from the powerful group comes amid the ongoing military escalation between two nuclear-powered countries.