That the government of Pakistan deserves commendation for condemning the Houthis’ recent threats to Saudi Arabia and to trading with the kingdom via the Red Sea is the need of the hour, so to speak, given Pakistan can no longer remain silent to growing belligerence of the Houthis against the kingdom and Islamabad’s own maritime interests in the Red Sea and beyond.
The Foreign Office has made it clear to the Houthis and their backers that “any hostile act against Pakistani-flagged vessels or Pakistani maritime interests will be regarded as a grave threat to Pakistan’s national security and sovereign interests”. “Threats against commercial shipping and trading with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are unacceptable and violate established principles of international law,” according to the Foreign Office.
Needless to say, Pakistan is committed to the security of Saudi Arabia owing to a variety of reasons, including the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia defence agreement and Islamabad’s critical economic and energy reliance on the kingdom.
Sarmad Ali (Karachi)
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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