Pakistan, Sept. 19 -- Asserting the "paramount" importance of maritime safety and security, a top Pakistani diplomat has warned that disruptions to commercial shipping and attacks on merchant vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab-Al-Mandab create grave implications for countries and continents alike.

"It is our principled position that global shipping should not become a casualty of conflict and strife. Instead, it should remain a driver of global trade and economy," Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, told an informal meeting of the Security Council on Thursday.

The meeting on 'Safe Seas, Shared Security: Protecting Freedom of Navigation in an Evolving Security Environment,' was convened by...