Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, has expressed solidarity with Bahrain, Jordan and other GCC nations that are “not parties to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, but are directly suffering from its consequences”.

“The Strait of Hormuz is an important international shipping route for goods and energy,” Ahmad says at a meeting of the UN Security Council.

“Pakistan calls for the security of ships and crew members, and the swift and safe passage of civilian ships, and restoration of normal passage through the strait.”

He notes that the situation in the key waterway is having widespread adverse effects, including in Pakistan.

“The ongoing situation in the Strait of Hormuz has resulted in one of the largest energy supply shocks in modern history,” he states. “The impact is felt not only in terms of energy flows, but in fertilisers and other essential commodities, thus affecting food security, cost of living and squeezing the livelihoods of the most vulnerable.”