Geneva, April 30 -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif separately and strongly condemned the April 22 terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam that killed 25 Indians and a Nepalese citizen.

According to the United Nations statement, the Secretary-General, in his phone calls, noted the importance of pursuing justice and accountability for the attack through lawful means.

He also expressed his deep concern at rising tensions between India and Pakistan and underscored the need to avoid a confrontation that could result in tragic consequences, and offered his Good Offices to support de-escalation efforts, the statement said.

This comes af...