Archive · 21 Aug 2026
Pakistan's Defence Pacts Expose Gaps in Seafarer Protection
A ship called the Tihamah was attacked near Yemen.
Three Pakistani sailors and three other people died.
The ship was carrying food and had 11 crew members.
Pakistan had recently signed a defence agreement with Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
Pakistan also leads international maritime security groups in the region.
However, the report says no Pakistani ship or rescue system helped the sailors.
Many Pakistanis work on ships owned by foreign companies and sailing under foreign flags.
This can make it unclear who is responsible for protecting them when danger strikes.
Three Pakistani sailors were among six people killed in a Houthi attack on the Tihamah in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The Tanzania-flagged vessel was carrying food and had 11 crew members when it was struck by three ballistic missiles.
Four crew members, including three Pakistanis and one Indonesian, were killed initially; two rescuers died in a subsequent attack.
Thousands of Pakistani seafarers work on foreign-flagged merchant ships, but their protection during crises is unclear.
The report says Pakistan’s multinational maritime commands have increased its status without creating a mechanism to protect Pakistani citizens at sea.
- Who
- Houthi forces attacked the Tihamah; three Pakistani sailors, one Indonesian crew member and two rescuers were killed.
- What
- A commercial vessel was struck by three ballistic missiles, followed by another attack that killed rescuers.
- When
- The report says the attack occurred four days after 7 August 2026, when Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia signed a joint defence agreement.
- Where
- The attack occurred in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, near Yemen.
- Why
- The report presents the incident as evidence of a gap between Pakistan’s high-profile international security roles and its ability to protect Pakistani seafarers.
Strategic Security Role
Citizen Protection Gap
Meaning of defence partnerships
Strategic Security Role
Pakistan presented the joint defence agreement with Turkey and Saudi Arabia as evidence of strategic autonomy and a stronger regional security role.
Citizen Protection Gap
The report argues that the agreement did not translate into protection for Pakistani sailors killed days later.
International maritime commands
Strategic Security Role
Pakistan’s leadership of Combined Task Force 150 and repeated command of Combined Task Force 151 signal maritime competence and enhance its standing with international partners.
Citizen Protection Gap
The report says Pakistan held command positions but lacked the capability or mechanism to assist its citizens when the Tihamah was attacked.
Responsibility for foreign-flagged crews
Strategic Security Role
The sailors worked aboard vessels owned by foreign companies and registered under foreign flags, meaning responsibilities were divided among shipowners and flag states.
Citizen Protection Gap
The report maintains that this arrangement leaves Pakistani seafarers vulnerable because Pakistan has no standing claim over the vessels and no established response system.
- Vessel
- Tihamah, an Egyptian- and Yemeni-owned, Tanzania-flagged commercial ship carrying food.
- Crew
- The vessel had 11 crew members.
- Casualties
- Six people died: three Pakistani sailors, one Indonesian crew member and two rescuers.
- Attack
- Houthi forces reportedly used three ballistic missiles and later fired again at rescuers.
- Defence agreement
- Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia signed a joint defence agreement on 7 August 2026.
- Pakistan's maritime commands
- The Pakistan Navy assumed command of Combined Task Force 150 in January 2026 and has commanded Combined Task Force 151 eleven times.
- Maritime patrol area
- Combined Task Force 150 operates beyond the Arabian Gulf across an area of more than two million square miles.