ISLAMABAD: Pakistan condemns Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia and commercial shipping in the Red Sea, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Thursday, following his telephonic conversation with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The statement came after an attack on a Saudi-owned ship, ENCELIA, in the Red Sea that caused a fire, but no crew member was injured, Saudi media reported. It followed a statement by Yemen’s Houthi rebels this week, declaring a naval blockade on the Kingdom that has been widely criticized by regional states.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, which share close strategic, economic and defense ties, signed a Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement (SMDA) in Sept. last year, which effectively treats an armed attack against one nation as an attack against both and serves as the cornerstone of their strategic relationship.
In a post on X, PM Sharif said he reaffirmed Pakistan’s complete solidarity with Saudi Arabia during his conversation with the Saudi crown prince, saying that Houthi attacks on Saudi oil tankers “are unacceptable, violate international law, threaten freedom of navigation, and undermine regional peace and security.”
“I reaffirmed Pakistan’s complete solidarity with the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and conveyed that I, together with Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and the entire Pakistani nation, stand firmly and resolutely with the Saudi leadership and the brotherly people of the Kingdom at this critical time,” Sharif said.
“His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and I agreed to continue working very closely to maintain regional peace, security, stability, and the uninterrupted flow of lawful maritime commerce through the Red Sea as well as the Strait of Hormuz and the wider region.”
Separately, Tahir Andrabi, a Pakistani foreign office spokesman, said the Houthi attacks endanger the freedom of navigation and global trade.
“Pakistan remains deeply concerned by attempts to draw the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia into the Middle East conflict and reiterates its unwavering support for the Kingdom’s security, sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he told a weekly press briefing on Thursday.
RIGHT TO DEFEND
The spokesman warned against any attacks on Pakistan’s maritime interests in the region, saying that Islamabad reserved the right to take all necessary measures.
“Any hostile act against Pakistani-flagged vessels or Pakistan’s maritime interests will be regarded as a grave threat to our national security,” Andrabi said.
“We reserve the right to take all necessary measures in self-defense, consistent with international law.”
Referring to Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni’s visit to Islamabad this week, the foreign office spokesman said it reflected Pakistan’s continued diplomatic engagement with Iran.
“Pakistan has repeatedly called for restraint by all sides and stated that the dialogue remains the only viable solution to prevent a regional conflict,” he said.
Momeni arrived in Islamabad on Monday amid continuing US and Iran attacks in the Gulf.
The US military announced Wednesday that it was conducting a 12th night of strikes against Iran as both sides increasingly targeted civilian infrastructure. Iran has responded to US attacks by targeting energy infrastructure and desalination plants that provide drinking water in parched neighboring Gulf countries.
Pakistan, a key mediator in the conflict, is seeking to revive diplomacy. But it remains unclear what new arrangement could be reached to end the US-Iran war, which lately has become a battle for control over the Strait of Hormuz.
Andabi said Pakistan is “continuing its diplomatic outreach in support of dialogue and diplomacy.”
