US Congressman Ro Khanna referred to Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir as a dictator and urged Pakistan to avoid responding militarily after India carried out ‘Operation Sindoor’ on May 7, targeting several terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. He also emphasised the need to reduce tensions between India and Pakistan, which have been rising since the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 civilian lives. "Both have nuclear weapons. Well, the most urgent thing is de-escalation. I mean, there was a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, and innocent people were killed. India took a response that helped take out some of the terrorist networks. The important thing now is for de-escalation," the Congressman stated in an interview with CNN.

The Democrat expressed hope that President Donald Trump's team members were knowledgeable about the region and its diplomatic dynamics, so they could assist in easing tensions between India and Pakistan. "The only reason I say is that they've (India and Pakistan) been fighting for centuries...It was British colonialism that fomented the partition, that fomented some of the divisions between Hindus and Muslims there. It's important to really understand the region, and we need to be an honest broker for escalation," he said.

He referred to Munir as a dictator and claimed that there is "no honest voice" remaining in Pakistan. He also urged Pakistani authorities to release former Prime Minister Imran Khan and to refrain from any retaliation in response to India's strike. "We also have to understand that Asim Munir is a dictator who didn't have legitimate elections, who has put Imran Khan in jail. There is no honest voice right now in Pakistan, because it's a dictatorship. We should be calling for elections, fair elections, after the de-escalation," he expressed. "There should be an end to it. We have a lot of leverage with Pakistan. We give the IMF loans to Pakistan. They're dependent upon that. We should be saying to Asim Munir that he needs to free Imran Khan, stop any retaliation and then have a fair election, because there was a rigged election,” Khanna further said.

At least 12 people, including four children, lost their lives, and 57 others were injured after the Pakistan Army launched intense artillery and mortar shelling on villages near the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday. The exchange of fire came shortly after India targeted nine terror locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir with missile strikes. Officials reported that the Poonch district suffered the most from the Pakistani shelling, where all the civilian casualties occurred. Among the injured, 42 people are receiving treatment, and several are in critical condition.