UAE Deputy PM calls for restraint, de-escalating India-Pak tensions

Abu Dhabi, May 7 (IANS) Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of UAE, has called on India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and de-escalate tensions, and avoid further escalation, said the country's foreign ministry on Wednesday.

"He stressed the importance of heeding the voices calling for dialogue and mutual understanding to prevent military escalation, strengthen stability in South Asia, and avoid further regional tensions," the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

He reaffirmed that diplomacy and dialogue remain the most effective means of peacefully resolving crises, and achieving the shared aspirations of nations for peace, stability, and prosperity," it read.

"He further emphasised that the United Arab Emirates will continue its efforts to support all initiatives aimed at achieving peaceful resolutions to regional and international conflicts and mitigating their humanitarian consequences," the statement added.

The remarks came in the wake of Operation Sindoor, launched by Indian armed forces against nine high-value terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

The Indian Army confirmed that the strikes were meticulously planned and executed, ensuring that no civilian or military infrastructure in Pakistan was affected.

The operation targeted infrastructure linked to terror groups responsible for the April 22 Pahalgam attack, which killed 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Indian government on Wednesday said that India has exercised its right to respond to dastardly acts of terror emanating from the neighbouring nation.

Addressing a press conference, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, along with Colonel Sophia Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh on 'Operation Sindoor', said that India's response to Pahalgam attacks was measured, calibrated and non-escalatory.

Real-time surveillance and post-strike assessments confirmed the destruction of the intended targets.

Operation Sindoor marks one of India's most assertive cross-border military responses since the Balakot airstrikes in 2019.

--IANS

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