Beijing promoted peace talks as New Delhi and Islamabad threatened to fire missiles at each other, Chinese foreign ministry says.

The sparring between India and Pakistan last month threatened to spiral out of control and only interventions by US officials, five sources familiar with the events said.

Beijing delays vote indefinitely on blacklisting of Masood Azhar, whose group killed dozens of Indian paramilitary police in an attack in Kashmir last month.

Mudasir Ahmed Khan was described as a top commander with the militant group behind the bombing on February 14 in Indian-administered Kashmir

Foreign Minister Wang Yi portrays China’s role as a balancing act between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

Prime Minister Imran Khan has recently ordered the takeover of assets and property of dozens of banned militant organisations operating in the country.

Continuing activity by hostile militant groups suggests that India’s responses to terrorist attacks, formed in 2016, cannot resolve the problem and new thinking may be required.

Beijing distances itself from Security Council consensus on Delhi’s pursuit of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief after group claims attack that killed 40 Indian troops in Kashmir.

The Indian air strikes were a response to the murder of Indian nationals on Indian soil by a state-funded terrorist group. It’s Islamabad that must act to cut support for the militant Jaish e-Mohammed.

Deputy foreign minister Kong Xuanyou is discussing tensions between the two South Asian rivals over disputed Kashmir region.

Pollsters say opposition parties may be making a mistake by questioning Modi on national security instead of focusing on domestic issues.

The United States and Britain urged Pakistan to deal with militant groups. However, an Indian government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed scepticism.

In recent days, India and Pakistan have come closer to conflict than in years, after a suicide bombing in Indian-administered Kashmir on February 14.

India’s biggest military stand-off with Pakistan in years triggering an upsurge in patriotism, stoked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of elections.

Pakistan has faced pressure to get tough with terror groups since a massive suicide bombing in Kashmir killed 40 Indian troops on February 14.

Kashmir has been a major flashpoint since the end of British rule in the subcontinent in 1947.

Islamabad has no desire to use its nuclear weapons, but when faced with overwhelming force and open aggression it may have no other option

Even if Pakistan acts against terror group Jaish-e Muhammad, Indian rule and brutality in Kashmir mean the causes of this stand-off will fester

The tensions between nuclear armed neighbours India and Pakistan may have eased slightly, but misjudged political rhetoric could still force them into a dangerous spiral

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to keep up the anti-Pakistan rhetoric but heed international pressure not to escalate the conflict. Meanwhile, cash-strapped Pakistan would not want a protracted conflict either.

Given the unthinkable risks in prolonged conflict, the prime ministers of nuclear powers India and Pakistan must weigh their actions carefully to avoid aggravating a delicate situation

Shares in JF-17 maker’s sister company surge after former Pakistani officer’s tweet claiming the jets were used in Kashmir flare-up – which, if confirmed, would be their first successful operation in real combat.

Pakistan’s Imran Khan vows to return a captured Indian pilot, even as Indian leader Narendra Modi rallies the nation to stand up against Pakistan’s “evil designs”.

Flights to and from London, Munich, Paris, Brussels, Milan, Vienna, Stockholm, Zurich, Copenhagen, Oslo, Frankfurt, and Rome had been expected to fly over Pakistani airspace but had to be cancelled.

Both countries have fought over the disputed territory since 1947, but the latest air strikes signal a worrying escalation. Here’s the conflict explained.