NEW YORK: Pakistan issued a UN maritime warning to the United Nations Security Council, saying disruptions to key waterways, including the Strait of Hormuz, threaten global trade, energy flows and economic stability.
Speaking at the high-level open debate on “The Safety and Protection of Waterways in the Maritime Domain”, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said prolonged disruption could hit developing economies hardest through higher oil, gas and fertiliser costs.
Ahmad said Pakistan, as a littoral state in the Indian Ocean Region, remained directly exposed to maritime chokepoint risks because of its reliance on seaborne trade and proximity to major shipping lanes.
The Security Council held the meeting on April 27 under the agenda item “Maintenance of international peace and security,” during Bahrain’s April presidency of the Council. Security Council Report said the debate aimed to review threats to lawful transit passage, freedom of navigation, and international cooperation to protect critical waterways.
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Ahmad reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea as a foundation of maritime order and warned that ignoring agreed rules would weaken trust in the international system. He also cited Pakistan’s role in maritime security operations, including Combined Task Force 150, Combined Task Force 151 and Regional Maritime Security Patrols, as part of its support for secure sea lanes.
The Council debate was scheduled for 11 a.m. EDT in New York on April 27, which was 8 p.m. PKT the same day.
