The army chief, Gen. Syed Asim Munir, who usually works behind the scenes, has been shaping Pakistan’s tone in the crisis over Kashmir with his own tough talk.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke to his Pakistani counterpart on Sunday and offered Russia's help in resolving tensions between Pakistan and India over Kashmir, the Foreign Ministry said.

The United States is stepping up pressure on India and Pakistan to avoid conflict in Kashmir after a tourist massacre in an Indian-administered area of the divided territory last week.