Dar briefed Wang — also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee — on the latest tensions between Pakistan and India “following a terrorist attack in the Kashmir region”, it said in the report.
For his part, Wang said China was closely following the developments, stressing that combating terrorism was a shared responsibility of the entire world while reaffirming Beijing’s consistent support for Pakistan’s firm counter-terrorism efforts, it added.”As an ironclad friend and an all-weather strategic cooperative partner, China fully understands Pakistan’s legitimate security concerns and supports Pakistan in safeguarding its sovereignty and security interests,” the report quoted Wang as saying.
“China advocates for a swift and fair investigation and believes that conflict does not serve the fundamental interests of either India or Pakistan, nor does it benefit regional peace and stability,” Wang noted.
China hopes both sides will remain restrained, move toward each other, and work together to de-escalate the situation, he added.
Dar emphasised that Pakistan had consistently and firmly fought terrorism and was against any actions that could lead to an escalation of the situation, according to the report.
The news agency reported that Dar said Pakistan is committed to managing the situation maturely and will maintain communication with China and the international community.
On April 23, China “strongly condemned” the brutal terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed.
“We strongly condemn the attack. China firmly opposes all forms of terrorism,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun had told a media briefing.”We mourn for the lives lost and express sincere sympathies to the bereaved families and the injured,” he had said.
Separately, China’s Ambassador to India Xu Feihong had also condemned the attack.
“Shocked by the attack in Pahalgam and condemn (it),” he had said in a post on X.
“Deep condolences for the victims and sincere sympathies to the injured and the bereaved families. Oppose terrorism of all forms,” he had said.
US in touch with India and Pakistan; urges work toward ‘responsible solution’
The US State Department said Washington was in touch with both India and Pakistan while urging them to work towards what it called a “responsible solution” as tensions have risen between the two Asian nations following a recent Islamist militant attack in Kashmir.
In public, the US government has expressed support for India after the attack but has not criticised Pakistan. India blamed Pakistan for the April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed over two dozen people. Pakistan denies responsibility and calls for a neutral probe.
“This is an evolving situation, and we are monitoring developments closely. We have been in touch with the governments of India and Pakistan at multiple levels,” a US State Department spokesperson told Reuters in an emailed statement.
“The United States encourages all parties to work together towards a responsible resolution,” the spokesperson added.
The State Department spokesperson also said Washington “stands with India and strongly condemns the terrorist attack in Pahalgam,” reiterating comments similar to recent ones made by President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
With inputs from Reuters
