Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on Thursday agreed to continue working very closely to maintain regional peace, security, and the uninterrupted flow of lawful maritime commerce through the Red Sea after Yemen’s Houthis targeted Saudi oil tankers.
In a telephone conversation between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the former condemned the Houthi’s attacks on Saudi oil tankers in the strongest possible terms.
Apart from attacking Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, the Houthis have also threatened to blockade Saudi ports on the waterway, a key route for oil shipments. Condemning the Houthi attacks as unacceptable, the prime minister said they violated international law, threatened freedom of navigation and undermined regional peace and security.
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s complete solidarity with Saudi Arabia, noting that he, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir, and the entire Pakistani nation stood firmly and resolutely with the Saudi leadership and people at this critical time.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the prime minister agreed to continue working very closely to maintain regional peace, security, stability and the uninterrupted flow of lawful maritime commerce through the Red Sea, the Strait of Hormuz and the wider region.
The call followed a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemning the threats issued by the Houthis against Saudi Arabia and commercial shipping in the Red Sea. It said such threats undermined freedom of navigation, challenged the rules-based maritime order and jeopardized the uninterrupted flow of global commerce.
The Foreign Office warned that threats against commercial shipping and trade with Saudi Arabia were unacceptable and violated established principles of international law, and expressed concern over reports of threats targeting vessels engaged in lawful commercial trade with the Kingdom.