NEW DELHI: The US urged India and Pakistan "not to escalate" the conflict in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack. The US' statement came as Pakistan warned of "military action by India" in the next 24-36 hours.

US State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said at a press briefing on Tuesday (local time) that Washington is reaching out to both India and Pakistan “regarding the Kashmir situation” and telling “them not to escalate the situation.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio “expects to speak with the foreign ministers of Pakistan and India as early as today or tomorrow," Bruce said, adding that Rubio “is encouraging other national leaders and foreign ministers to reach out to the countries on this issue.”

"So it is – again, as I’ve noted, everyday action is being taken, in this case, the Secretary speaking directly to his counterparts in India and Pakistan, and we’ll – we expect certainly the impact he’s usually had with the individuals he’s spoken with and certainly with President Trump’s leadership, India and Pakistan having those conversations. It’s very important for them,” Bruce said.

Pakistan must wake up and smell the economic brew
In a statement on Tuesday, Pakistan's Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar said that Pakistan has “credible intelligence that India intends to carry out military action against Pakistan in the next 24 to 36 hours.”
His statement came after India downgraded diplomatic ties with Pakistan and announced a raft of measures, including expulsion of Pakistani military attaches, suspension of the Indus Water Treaty of 1960 and immediate shutting down of the Attari land-transit post given the cross-border links to the Pahalgam terror attack.

Tensions have escalated between India and Pakistan after terrorists opened fire near Kashmir’s Pahalgam town on April 22, killing 26 people, mostly tourists, in what is the deadliest attack in the Valley since the Pulwama strike in 2019.