Switzerland urges India and Pakistan to ease tensions

India and Pakistan exchanged shellfire on Wednesday, resulting in the deaths of at least 26 Pakistanis and 8 Indians. EPA/FAROOQ KHAN

Switzerland has expressed concern over the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. The country has joined the international community in urging both nuclear powers to exercise “restraint”.

The foreign ministry warned on Wednesday that the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan help no one. “Growing tensions between India and Pakistan are alarming. We call on both sides to exercise maximum restraint and to engage in dialogue for the sake of de-escalation,” the ministry wrote on X.

#IndiaExternal link #PakistanExternal link | Escalation helps no one. Growing tensions between 🇮🇳 and 🇵🇰 are alarming.

We call on both sides to exercise maximum restraint and engage in #dialogueExternal link for the sake of de-escalation.

— Swiss MFA (@SwissMFA) May 7, 2025External link

India and Pakistan exchanged shellfire on Wednesday, resulting in the deaths of at least 26 Pakistanis and 8 Indians. This marks the most serious military confrontation between the two nations in two decades.

Last Friday, Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis had phone conversations with Pakistani Foreign Minister Dar and Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar. He urged both to show restraint to prevent regional escalation, as he mentioned on X.

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In response to a request from the Keystone-SDA news agency, the foreign ministry said it currently has no information on the Swiss nationals involved. Swiss embassies in Islamabad and New Delhi are in touch with the local authorities.

Currently, about 60 people are registered on the foreign ministry’s Travel Admin app for India and around 20 for Pakistan. The Register of Swiss Abroad lists approximately 700 people in India and 400 in Pakistan.

Flights affected

On its website, the ministry advises Swiss nationals in the country to stay informed about the security situation and follow local authorities’ instructions. The situation remains uncertain and flights may be cancelled or suspended at short notice, it notes.

+SWISS suspends flights over Pakistan

Due to the current situation, Swiss International Airlines (SWISS)  has been avoiding Pakistani airspace since last Thursday, a spokesperson told Keystone-SDA. “The latest developments have no new impact on our flight operations,” they added.

Since last week, flight times on certain routes to Asia have been slightly longer, according to SWISS. Flights to and from Delhi, Singapore, and Bangkok are affected, with only the Delhi route experiencing significant delays.

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Translated from French with DeepL/sp

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