Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland is urging India and Pakistan to “exercise maximum restraint” as tensions over the disputed Kashmir region mount.
Freeland issued a statement Wednesday afternoon calling on both countries to “avoid any further military escalation” following Pakistan’s shooting down of two Indian military aircraft in response to Indian airstrikes. “Canada is gravely concerned about rising tensions between India and Pakistan,” Freeland said. Dialogue … is needed to identify a durable diplomatic solution and maintain peace and security in the region.”
Pakistan’s military said Wednesday that it had shot down two Indian planes in its airspace and taken one pilot into custody. The attack came one day after Indian fighter jets conducted an airstrike in Pakistan.
Hostilities between the two countries have been increasing since a suicide attack in Kashmir killed more than 40 Indian soldiers earlier this month. India’s airstrikes this week represented the country’s first attack inside Pakistan since 1971.
Kashmir is a mountainous region on the border of India and Pakistan, both of which have claimed ownership of it for decades.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan called Wednesday for peace talks between the two nations. The Indian government’s response to Wednesday’s developments has been to say that one of its planes was “lost” with its pilot “missing in action.” India has also claimed that it shot down an aircraft from Pakistan, which Pakistan has denied.
Source: ctvnews.ca
Saturday, April 18, 2026
