UN Calls for Restraint as India-Pakistan Tensions Escalate After Deadly Kashmir Attack

The United Nations has urged India and Pakistan to show “maximum restraint” after a deadly shooting in Kashmir triggered a diplomatic standoff between the nuclear-armed neighbors. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in New York on Thursday, “We very much appeal to both the governments… to exercise maximum restraint, and to ensure that the situation and the developments we’ve seen do not deteriorate any further.” He emphasized that any issues between the two countries should be resolved peacefully through meaningful mutual engagement.

Tensions have sharply escalated following Tuesday’s attack at the popular tourist site of Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir, where gunmen killed 26 civilians in the deadliest assault on civilians in the region in a quarter of a century. Indian police have identified two of the three fugitive attackers as Pakistani nationals and linked them to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba group, a UN-designated terrorist organization. A bounty of two million rupees ($23,500) has been announced for information leading to each man’s arrest.

In his first public statement since the attack, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed to pursue the perpetrators. “I say to the whole world: India will identify, track and punish every terrorist and their backer. We will pursue them to the ends of the Earth,” he said. Modi also observed two minutes of silence in memory of those killed and declared, “Whatever little land these terrorists have, it’s time to reduce it to dust.”

In response to the attack, India announced a series of retaliatory measures: suspending a water-sharing treaty, closing the main land border crossing with Pakistan, downgrading diplomatic ties, and withdrawing visas for Pakistani nationals. India’s air force and navy also conducted military exercises on Thursday, signaling readiness for a potential escalation.

Pakistan has denied involvement in the attack and dismissed India’s accusations as “frivolous.” Islamabad responded by expelling Indian diplomats and military advisers, cancelling visas for Indian citizens — with the exception of Sikh pilgrims — and closing the border crossing from its side. In a statement issued after a National Security Committee meeting, Pakistan warned that any attempt to stop the Indus River water supply would be considered an “act of war.”

Kashmir has remained a flashpoint between India and Pakistan since their independence in 1947, with both countries claiming the region in full but governing separate parts. Rebel groups have been waging an insurgency in Indian-administered Kashmir since 1989, seeking independence or a merger with Pakistan. The Pahalgam attack marks a shift in tactics, with gunmen targeting civilians rather than security forces.

The attack has sparked anger among Hindu nationalist groups in India. Survivors told Indian media that the attackers targeted men, sparing only those who could recite the Islamic declaration of faith. Indian security forces have launched a massive manhunt, detaining large numbers of people. Meanwhile, Kashmiri students across India have reported facing harassment and intimidation in the aftermath of the attack.