ISLAMABAD(National Times)- Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday condemned the attack by Yemen’s Houthis on a commercial vessel in the Red Sea that claimed the lives of three Pakistanis and said Islamabad was in contact with the relevant authorities to ascertain further details.
The attack targeted a Tanzania-flagged vessel Tihamah, causing deaths and injuries among its crew. Apart from three Pakistanis, an Indonesian was also killed in the attack.
Dar said in a post on X that he had also received reports of a Pakistani being injured in the attack.
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families,” he said, adding: “Pakistan strongly condemns the Houthi attack on a non-combatant commercial vessel.”
“Such attacks endanger innocent lives, constitute a violation of international law, and pose a serious threat to freedom of navigation, maritime security, and the safety of commercial shipping in the Red Sea,” he said.
“We are in contact with the relevant Saudi authorities, as well as the internationally recognised government of Yemen, to ascertain further details of the incident and the circumstances surrounding it,” he added.
Dar said he had directed the embassy in Riyadh to coordinate with the authorities concerned and “strongly pursue all necessary measures” for the retrieval and repatriation of the dead and for the provision of all possible assistance to the injured Pakistani national.
“We are closely following the situation and will continue to remain in close contact with the concerned authorities,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Office spokesperson reiterated that efforts were underway to repatriate the remains of the killed nationals and to provide assistance to the injured.
“We learnt with this deep concern about this unfortunate incident involving an attack on vessel … This was a commercial vessel in the Red Sea,” Tahir Andrabi said during his weekly press briefing.
“The government of Pakistan will continue to closely follow the situation and will share the details with the media as and when available,” he said.
He also commented on the recent maritime coalition announced by Saudi Arabia, saying, “We support freedom of navigation in maritime security of international waterways under international law.
“Pakistan is the signatory of this coalition. We abide by its communique and we are ready and willing to assist Saudi Arabia and other coalition partners as an operationalisation of this communique to preserve the safety and security of global maritime,” he said.
Three different ships came under attack in the Red Sea and Gulf of Oman on Tuesday, taking simmering tensions in the world’s most key energy trading corridor up another notch.
Yemen’s coastguard said the initial strike on the Tihamah caused a fire and extensive damage to the vessel, killing four sailors, including three Pakistanis and an Indonesian. A second strike targeted the vessel as rescue workers carried out a mission to evacuate the ship.
Separately, a Houthi-linked media outlet later reported that the group’s armed forces targeted a ship in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait that it said was carrying Saudi military equipment.
Meanwhile, the Panama-flagged container ship Vela Nova was struck by a missile in an attack off Pakistan while sailing into the Gulf of Oman, maritime security sources told Reuters.
Tuesday’s strikes were the latest in a number of deadly attacks against ships in and around the entrance to the Red Sea since the Houthis announced a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia last month.
Last month, Pakistan had condemned the Houthis’ threats to Saudi Arabia and to trading with the kingdom via the Red Sea, warning that it had the right to self-defence if its “maritime interests” were targeted in “any hostile act”.
It had later doubled down on its warning, describing any attack on its maritime interests as a “red line” and declaring that such a strike would be treated as an attack on the country.
On July 30, Saudi Arabia also unveiled plans for a multinational maritime defence coalition to protect shipping and energy supply routes in the Red Sea region following a meeting of representatives from 43 countries. Fourteen participating countries, including Pakistan, issued a joint statement supporting the coalition and welcoming the consensus reached on its foundational arrangements.
