ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has stressed the need for uninterrupted energy supplies and the safe passage of commercial vessels during a phone call with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
According to the Foreign Office, Dar highlighted the importance of ensuring the safe and swift movement of ships, particularly given the impact of maritime disruptions on developing countries and global supply chains.
The two foreign ministers agreed to maintain close coordination and meet in New York on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, the FO said in a statement on X.
Dar also emphasised that dialogue and diplomacy remained the only viable means of achieving peace and stability in the region.
The conversation came hours after Pakistan urged Yemen’s Houthi group to immediately stop attacks on merchant vessels and seafarers in the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Speaking at a UN Security Council Arria-Formula meeting, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, called for the protection of freedom of navigation and the safety of commercial shipping.
The development follows the Houthis’ recent offensive along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, which has given the group control over areas around the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait.
The Houthis have also declared a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia and targeted Saudi-linked shipping in the Red Sea, as well as sites inside the kingdom.
Ambassador Ahmad said attacks on merchant vessels in Bab al-Mandab and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz demonstrated how maritime crises could affect global peace, energy security, food security and economic stability.
Pakistan, he said, strongly condemned attempts to weaponise Bab al-Mandab through attacks on commercial shipping and seafarers.
Ahmad also reaffirmed Pakistan’s solidarity with Saudi Arabia, saying the Houthi attacks posed risks to maritime security and regional peace and development.
Regarding the Strait of Hormuz, the ambassador said Pakistan remained deeply concerned about disruptions and attacks affecting commercial shipping.