Pakistan urges Houthis to cease ships attacks, slams attempts to weaponise Bab al-Mandab

• Pakistan calls for protection of freedom of navigation at UN.
• Pakistani ambassador expresses solidarity with Saudi Arabia.
• Houthi attacks carry "dire consequences" for regional peace: envoy.

Pakistan has called on Yemen's Houthis to immediately cease attacks on merchant ships and seafarers in Bab al-Mandab, condemning the group's attempt to weaponise the waterway.

Speaking at a UNSC Arria-Formula meeting, Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, stressed the need to protect freedom of navigation and the safety of commercial shipping.

This month, Yemen's Houthis launched a lightning offensive to take over the country's entire Red Sea coast, giving them control over the vital Bab al-Mandab strait.

The group has declared a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia, targeting Saudi-linked shipping in the Red Sea as well as sites within the kingdom.

During his address at the UNSC, Ambassador Ahmed said that the attacks on merchant vessels in the strait and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz had demonstrated that maritime crisis could have far-reaching consequences for global peace, stability, energy security and food security.

"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 added.

He reiterated Pakistan's solidarity with Saudi Arabia, saying that the Houthi attacks "seriously undermine maritime security and threaten peace and development of regional countries,".

The ambassador maintained that such provocative acts by the Houthis "could have dire consequences for maritime security, and regional peace and stability."

Addressing the situation in Hormuz Strait, Ambassador Ahmad said that Pakistan was deeply concerned by disruptions and attacks on commercial shipping.

He called for "an immediate de-escalation of tensions, security of ships and crew members, and restoration of normal passage through the strait".

He noted that Hormuz was a critical maritime trade route, with disruptions there having significant implications for global energy and fertiliser supplies.

The envoy emphasised that Pakistan, as a littoral state of the Indian Ocean and a party to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, attached "paramount importance to maritime safety and security."

"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," he said.

Ambassador Ahmad also underscored the country's diplomatic efforts following the outbreak of hostilities between Iran and the United States on February 28, saying Islamabad led efforts for de-escalation and broader regional stability, culminating in a ceasefire and the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.

He reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to diplomatic engagement, saying that Islamabad would continue efforts "for a negotiated settlement of all outstanding issues for an early return to normalcy at sea and land."

Islamabad will continue to work with others nations in the region and beyond to advance maritime peace and security and ensure the safety of commercial shipping and merchant vessels, he added.