RAWALPINDI: People gather in front of the wreckage of a restaurant’s shade outside the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium after an alleged drone was shot down on Thursday.

ISLAMABAD  -  The United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia yesterday launched parallel diplomatic efforts to defuse a rapidly intensifying conflict between Pakistan and India, following unprovoked Indian airstrikes and heightened military activity that have pushed the two nuclear-armed nations to the brink of war.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held separate phone calls with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, the US State Department said. In both conversations, Rubio stressed the urgency of immediate de-escalation and reaffirmed the US support for direct dialogue between the two countries, the official statement, released here by the US embassy, said.

Separately, Saudi Arabia’s leadership directed Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Climate Envoy Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir, to visit Islamabad today (May 9). Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar yesterday held a telephone call with Vice President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy, Antonio Tajani, to discuss the current regional developments.

DPM Dar briefed his Italian counterpart on India’s blatant act of aggression and violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty through the use of standoff weapons, targeting civilian populations across the international border, the Foreign Office said in a statement.

Foreign Minister Tajani expressed his deepest sympathies for the loss of lives in Pakistan. He emphasized the urgent need to return to dialogue in order to de-escalate the increasingly tense situation in the region. Both leaders agreed to maintain close contact.

Earlier in the day, at a high-level briefing in Islamabad, Ishaq Dar spoke to foreign diplomats and international media to present Pakistan’s detailed perspective on the recent Indian strikes. Pakistan’s efforts and desire for peace were clearly visible in the interaction.

Dar condemned the military strikes conducted by India during the night of May 6 and 7, labelling them a “blatant violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

He said the attacks targeted Sialkot, Shakargarh, Muridke, Bahawalpur, Kotli, and Muzaffarabad, and resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians, with 46 others injured. Many victims included women and children.

The strikes, Dar explained, were conducted under a false pretext of targeting terrorist infrastructure, and he described the deliberate targeting of civilian populations as a “heinous and shameful crime.”

The DPM added that mosques were also damaged or destroyed, a step he termed particularly reprehensible. The attacks endangered regional air traffic, with commercial flights in the air during the strikes, putting thousands of passengers at risk.

DPM Dar highlighted that the Neelum-Jhelum hydropower project was among the targets, calling it a violation of international conventions and significant in the context of India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty.

He said Pakistan’s Air Force responded in self-defense, successfully downing five Indian fighter aircraft and drones.

He said India’s actions violate the UN Charter, international law, and norms governing inter-state conduct, and accused New Delhi of “reckless conduct” that escalated tensions dangerously close to war. He warned that South Asia, home to over one-fifth of the world’s population, cannot afford such instability.

On the Pahalgam terror attack, Dar categorically rejected India’s “baseless” allegations linking Pakistan, emphasizing that no verifiable evidence or credible investigation has been presented.

He reminded that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had proposed an independent international probe on April 26, which India has yet to respond to.

Dar said international media visited the so-called “terrorist camps” identified by India - debunking Indian claims.

The DPM criticized India for ignoring international calls for restraint from the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and other global actors. He said these calls were disregarded, proving Pakistan’s concerns about India’s intentions were valid.

He said Pakistan’s National Security Committee, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, had reaffirmed Pakistan’s right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter and declared the country will respond to Indian aggression at a time and place of its choosing.

Dar called upon the international community to hold India accountable for its “irresponsible, unlawful and belligerent conduct,” warning that further escalation would have catastrophic consequences for regional and global peace.