ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has warned that any attack on a Pakistani-flagged oil tanker stranded in the Red Sea near Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline would be treated as an “act of war,” as Islamabad weighs options to secure crude supplies amid concerns over dwindling fuel reserves.
Federal Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik said the stranded vessel would have to be moved, regardless of the circumstances.
Speaking to a private television channel, Malik said Saudi authorities had asked the tanker to remain on standby for the time being.“We will have to move it one way or another,” the minister said.
The government is considering several options, including keeping the tanker near the Saudi pipeline until operations resume, sailing it back through Oman or the United Arab Emirates, or arranging alternative crude supplies from Libya.
Saudi Arabia’s East-West Pipeline, which transports crude from the kingdom’s eastern oilfields to the Red Sea, was shut down following attacks earlier this month.
The 1,200-kilometre pipeline provides a key alternative route for Saudi oil exports when shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is disrupted.
Malik warned that prolonged disruption to crude supplies could create an imminent diesel shortage in Pakistan.
He said the country currently has diesel stocks sufficient for the present month and the following month, making uninterrupted imports increasingly important.
The petroleum minister also said Pakistan had made its position clear to all parties that any attack on a vessel flying the Pakistani flag would be considered an act of war.
The security situation around the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab has deteriorated amid intensified fighting involving Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi movement.
The disruption to Saudi oil infrastructure has also raised concerns about global energy supplies and pushed crude prices higher.
Pakistan has been seeking alternative supply routes since disruptions to regional shipping began.
Earlier this year, Islamabad and Riyadh discussed using Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea port of Yanbu to maintain Pakistan’s energy supplies, with Saudi authorities assuring Islamabad of support for emergency requirements.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has meanwhile reiterated Pakistan’s support for Saudi Arabia and condemned the reported drone attack near the holy city of Makkah, according to a statement from his office.
The latest developments have added to concerns over Pakistan’s energy security as regional attacks continue to threaten major oil-producing infrastructure and key maritime chokepoints.