ISLAMABAD – Iran’s foreign minister visited Pakistan on Monday in an effort to mediate in the tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi following last month’s fatal assault on tourists in the Indian-administered area of Kashmir.
Abbas Araghchi’s visit marked the first by an international diplomat since the conflict intensified due to a deadly incident in the disputed Kashmir territory, according to Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry. This visit follows Tehran’s offer to assist in calming the situation between the nuclear-armed countries.
Araghchi was received by Pakistani senior officials after arriving at an airport close to Islamabad. He is scheduled to meet with his Pakistani counterpart, Ishaq Dar, along with President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the ministry stated, without providing further specifics.
Pakistan’s armed forces have been on high alert since last week, after Cabinet minister Attaullah Tarar said Islamabad had credible intelligence that India could attack Pakistan in response to the April 22 assault in the resort town of Pahalgam that killed 26 tourists — mostly Hindus — in Indian-administered Kashmir.
Pakistan has denied any role in the attack, and offered to have a credible international probe. New Delhi has so far not accepted the offer and several world leaders, including officials from the United States, have urged both sides to exercise restraint and avoid further escalation.
Kashmir is split between India and Pakistan and claimed by both in its entirety. The two countries have fought two of their three wars over the Himalayan region and their ties have been shaped by conflict, aggressive diplomacy and mutual suspicion, mostly due to their competing claims over Kashmir.
The latest flare-up led the two countries to expel each other’s diplomats and nationals, as well as the shuttering of airspace.
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