Pakistan Calls for Immediate End to Military Escalation and Illegal Attacks in Gulf Region at UN
New York:Pakistan has called for an immediate end to military escalation and illegal attacks in the Gulf region, urging all states to respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, protect civilians and commercial shipping, and revive diplomatic efforts to achieve lasting peace and stability.
Addressing a United Nations Security Council meeting on the situation in the Gulf and its implications for international peace and security, particularly amid rising regional tensions and threats to maritime security, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Syed Haider Shah, expressed serious concern over the growing tensions and their impact on the security of Pakistan’s brotherly Gulf countries and the wider region.
Reaffirming Pakistan’s deep-rooted fraternal ties with Gulf countries, Ambassador Shah said their security and prosperity were of utmost importance to Pakistan. He strongly condemned attacks against Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states and expressed Pakistan’s full solidarity with their governments and people.
He also strongly condemned attacks and threats by the Houthi militia against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including targeting civilian infrastructure and commercial vessels engaged in lawful trade.
The Pakistani envoy reiterated Islamabad’s unwavering support for Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and security, stressing that attacks on civilian infrastructure, including airports and energy facilities, were unacceptable.
Highlighting the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Ambassador Syed Haider Shah warned that threats to maritime traffic and attacks on commercial vessels were endangering the lives of seafarers, disrupting international trade and worsening energy and food insecurity, particularly for vulnerable economies.
He called for respect for the rights and freedoms of maritime navigation, protection of commercial vessels and their crews, restoration of normal shipping activities, and safe and uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian assistance.
The ambassador stressed that addressing the root causes of regional conflicts and instability was essential for achieving lasting peace. He called for the development of a regional framework based on collective security, peaceful coexistence and shared prosperity.
Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations emphasised that dialogue and diplomacy must remain the only way forward. He urged all parties to cease attacks, keep communication channels open and support regional initiatives as well as the mediation efforts of the UN Secretary-General.
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to working closely with brotherly and friendly countries and international partners to reduce tensions across the region and beyond, strengthen maritime security, and promote lasting peace and stability.
