Islamabad, Feb 25: The EU has asked India and Pakistan to de-escalate tensions between them which have surged yet again in the wake of the Pulwama suicide strike.
The statement came amid heightened tension between the two nuclear-armed arch-rivals after the February 14 suicide attack by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) that killed at least 49 CRPF soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the EU Commission, urged Pakistan and India to urgently “de-escalate” the tension which has built up after the attack.
She spoke to Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Sunday and discussed the current situation, a delegation of the European Union (EU) said in a statement here.
The EU is also in contact with India, it said.
Mogherini also highlighted the need to “continue addressing terrorism including clear and sustained actions targeting not only all United Nations-listed transnational terrorist groups but also individuals claiming responsibility for such attacks” the statement said.
She said the EU’s policy has always been to promote a dialogue between Pakistan and India to sort out differences.
After the attack, which was claimed by the JeM, India launched a major diplomatic offensive against Islamabad and highlighted Pakistan’s role in “using terrorism as an instrument of state policy”.
India asked Pakistan to take “immediate and verifiable action against terrorists and terror groups operating from territories under its control”.
New Delhi also announced the withdrawal of the Most Favoured Nation status for Pakistan and hiked the customs duty by 200 percent on goods originating from Pakistan.
