Authorities in the Pakistan-administered region of Kashmir shut down more than 1,000 Quranic schools yesterday amid fears of a potential Indian military response following a deadly attack last week.
India has blamed Pakistan for the April 22 armed attack that killed 26 people in Indian Kashmir. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has granted the military “full freedom” to respond to the assault.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday, urging both to “de-escalate tensions and maintain peace and security in South Asia,” according to the US State Department.
Islamabad has denied any involvement in the attack, claiming it has “credible evidence” that India is planning an imminent military strike, and vowed to “respond decisively to any aggression.”
Rubio also urged “Pakistani officials to co-operate in conducting an investigation into this senseless attack,” his spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.
Jaishankar stated that “those who carried out, supported, and planned the Kashmir attack must be brought to justice.”
Fearing military escalation, Pakistani authorities ordered the closure of more than 1,000 religious schools in their sector of Kashmir.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s military confirmed that its army chief had attended military exercises in Punjab, near the Indian border. General Asim Munir told soldiers at the site that “any Indian adventurism will be met with a decisive response.”
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