Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has urged the U.S. to impress upon India to dial down the rhetoric and act responsibly.

He was talking to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who made a telephone call to him this evening. 

The Prime Minister termed escalatory and provocative behavior of India as deeply disappointing and worrisome.

He said that India's provocations would only serve to distract Pakistan from its ongoing efforts to defeat terrorism, particularly from militant groups including ISKP, TTP and BLA operating from Afghan soil.

Shehbaz Sharif shared Pakistan's perspective with Secretary Rubio on recent developments in South Asia, since the Pahalgam incident.

He categorically rejected Indian attempts to link Pakistan to the incident and pointed to his call for a transparent, credible, and neutral investigation to bring out the facts.

He said it is most regrettable that India has chosen to weaponize water, which is a lifeline for 240 million people of Pakistan, while also stressing that the Indus Waters Treaty had no provision for either side to unilaterally renege from its commitments.

The Prime Minister emphasized that peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is the only way to ensure lasting peace in South Asia.

Condemning terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, Shehbaz Sharif underscored Pakistan's leading role in the war against terror and its sacrifice of over 90,000 lives lost and over 152 billion dollars in economic losses.

Shehbaz Sharif highlighted that Pakistan and the U.S. had worked together closely over the past seventy years and there is a lot that both sides could cooperate on, including counter-terrorism and enhanced economic cooperation, particularly the minerals sector.

He also stressed that his government has undertaken major economic reforms over the past one year, and consequently, Pakistan is now on the road to economic recovery.

The Prime Minister greeted the U.S. Secretary of State and conveyed his good wishes for President Donald Trump, while expressing Pakistan's desire to work closely with the U.S. Administration on all areas of mutual interest.

On his part, Secretary of State Rubio thanked the Prime Minister for the detailed conversation and emphasized the need for both sides to continue working together for peace and stability in South Asia.