Pakistan has announced its full support for Saudi Arabia’s defensive measures against Houthi attacks, as it called for urgent international efforts to prevent the worsening conflict in Yemen from escalating further, the 24NewsHD TV channel reported on Wednesday.
Speaking at a United Nations Security Council meeting on Yemen, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, expressed deep concern over the deteriorating situation and said immediate action was needed. His remarks were made amid renewed fighting in Yemen and continued Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia and commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
Asim said Pakistan supported the sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of Saudi Arabia and strongly condemned Houthi attacks against the kingdom. He said the attacks posed serious risks to regional peace and stability and could have wider consequences.
He warned that attacks around the Bab al-Mandab Strait could affect the global economy. Actions against commercial shipping, he said, posed a growing threat to freedom of navigation and international maritime trade.
The Pakistani envoy said putting important maritime routes at risk or using them as a weapon could have serious consequences for global trade and energy security. The United Nations has also warned that the situation around Bab al-Mandab has become increasingly volatile as fighting has intensified along Yemen’s western coast.
Asim said the situation in Yemen had entered an extremely dangerous phase. He warned that continued fighting could increase the risk of a return to full-scale war and further complicate an already serious humanitarian crisis.
He said the relatively calm situation that had prevailed in Yemen since 2022 had unfortunately come to an end, while the continuing escalation was increasing the danger of a wider conflict. Recent fighting has followed the collapse of the period of relative calm, with renewed Houthi advances along the Red Sea coast.
Pakistan’s representative stressed the need to accelerate diplomatic efforts in view of the seriousness of the crisis. He said Pakistan strongly supported the restoration of a comprehensive political process that was Yemeni-led and conducted under United Nations auspices.
He added that Pakistan would continue to support sincere efforts aimed at reducing tensions, promoting dialogue and reaching a political settlement in Yemen. Such a settlement, he said, could provide the basis for lasting peace and regional stability.
Pakistan’s position is consistent with its recent statement at the Security Council, where Asim said Islamabad supported Saudi Arabia’s right under the UN Charter and international law to take necessary measures to defend its territory, citizens, residents and national assets.
Reporter: Anwar Abbas.