China on Monday urged India and Pakistan to “exercise restraint” after New Delhi’s army said soldiers from the two countries exchanged gunfire in disputed Kashmir for a fourth night in a row.
“China hopes that the two sides will exercise restraint, meet each other halfway, properly handle relevant differences through dialogue and consultation and jointly maintain regional peace and stability,” foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said.
The statement follows the deadly April 22 shooting that targeted tourists in Pahalgam in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Twenty-six men were killed in the attack, the worst on civilians in the contested region for a quarter of a century.
India claimed two of the three shooters were Pakistani nationals. Denying any involvement, Islamabad called attempts to link Pakistan to the Pahalgam attack “frivolous” and vowed to respond to any Indian action.
“Any threat to Pakistan’s sovereignty and the security of its people will be met with firm reciprocal measures in all domains,” a Pakistani statement said, after Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a rare National Security Committee with top military chiefs.
A day after the attack, New Delhi suspended a water-sharing treaty, announced the closure of the main land border crossing with Pakistan, downgraded diplomatic ties, and withdrew visas for Pakistanis.
In response, Islamabad on Thursday ordered the expulsion of Indian diplomats and military advisers, cancelling visas for Indian nationals, except Sikh pilgrims, and closing the main border crossing from its side.
Pakistan also warned that any attempt by India to stop the supply of water from the Indus River would be an “act of war.”
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