Speaking at a UN Security Council Arria-Formula meeting, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, stressed the importance of protecting freedom of navigation and the safety of commercial shipping.
“Pakistan strongly condemns the nefarious designs of Houthi militia to weaponise Bab al-Mandab by launching attacks on merchant shipping and innocent seafarers navigating the strait,” he said.
The ambassador also expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia, saying Houthi attacks were undermining maritime security and threatening peace and development in countries across the region.
He warned that attacks on merchant vessels in Bab al-Mandab, along with disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, demonstrated how maritime crises could have wider consequences for global peace, regional stability, energy security and food supplies.
Addressing the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, Ahmad said Pakistan was deeply concerned about disruptions to commercial shipping and called for an immediate reduction in tensions.
He also called for the safety of ships and their crews and the restoration of normal passage through the strait.
The ambassador described Hormuz as a critical maritime trade route, warning that disruptions could have significant implications for global energy and fertiliser supplies.
Pakistan, as a littoral state of the Indian Ocean and a party to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, attaches “paramount importance” to maritime safety and security, he said.
“It is our principled position that global shipping should not become a casualty of conflict and strife. Instead, it should remain a driver of global trade and economy,” Ahmad said.
He also highlighted Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts following the outbreak of hostilities between Iran and the United States on February 28, saying Islamabad had worked to promote de-escalation and regional stability, culminating in a ceasefire and the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.
Ahmad reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to diplomatic engagement and said Islamabad would continue working towards negotiated settlements of outstanding issues and an early return to normal maritime and regional conditions.
He said Pakistan would continue working with countries in the region and beyond to promote maritime peace and security and protect commercial and merchant shipping.
