By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday voiced deep concern over an incident at the Khor Fakkan port in the United Arab Emirates, where falling debris from a missile intercepted by Emirati air defences sparked a fire and injured three Pakistani nationals.
The episode is the latest in a series of Iranian retaliatory attacks on Gulf states that have increasingly drawn civilians into the crossfire of the widening U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.
Sharif, writing on the social media platform X, said he was “deeply concerned at the incident at Khor Fakkan port in the UAE, where an intercepted projectile caused injuries to civilians, including Pakistani nationals.” He offered prayers for the swift recovery of the injured and said Pakistan was in close contact with UAE authorities to provide all possible assistance to its citizens there.
“Pakistan stands in solidarity with the brotherly people of the UAE and reiterates the urgent need for restraint and de-escalation in the region,” the prime minister added.
The incident occurred on Sunday when UAE air defence systems intercepted a projectile, sending debris into the Khor Fakkan port in the emirate of Sharjah. A fire broke out at the site, the Sharjah Media Office said in a statement. Emergency teams quickly contained the blaze and began cooling operations, it said.
Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported that four people were hurt: three Pakistani nationals with minor to moderate injuries and one Nepalese national who suffered severe injuries and was transferred to a hospital. The Sharjah Government Media Bureau confirmed the same details in a separate statement.
The episode underscores the growing human cost to foreign workers in the Gulf as Iran has launched barrages of missiles and drone attacks against the UAE and other Gulf states since the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran began in February. Iranian officials have described the strikes as targeting economic sites they say are supporting the war effort.
At least four Pakistani nationals have already been killed in the UAE by falling debris from similar interceptions since the conflict escalated, Pakistani officials have said. Pakistan has repeatedly condemned Iran’s attacks on Gulf countries while calling on all parties to resolve differences through dialogue and diplomacy. Islamabad maintains close ties with both the UAE — home to a large Pakistani expatriate community — and Iran, and has positioned itself as a voice for de-escalation in the volatile region.
Pakistani diplomats in Abu Dhabi and Dubai were coordinating with local authorities to ensure the injured received proper care and to check on the welfare of the wider Pakistani community, officials said.
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