Pakistan has begun urgently seeking alternative crude oil suppliers and import routes as reported disruption to two crucial Gulf shipping passages threatens its energy supplies, prompting the government to consider sources as far afield as the United States, Nigeria, Singapore and Central Asia. The move follows the reported closure of the Strait of Hormuz and an announcement by the Houthis restricting the movement of Saudi oil shipments through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait from the Red Sea port of Yanbu. The developments have raised concerns about Pakistan's energy security and its ability to maintain an uninterrupted flow of crude oil. Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik responded by convening an emergency meeting with chief executives and managing directors of the country's oil refineries. The discussions focused on the evolving regional security situation amid tensions involving the United States, Iran and the Houthis, as well as the implications for Pakistan's crude supply. Malik directed refine ry officials to identify alternative sources and shipping routes as a matter of urgency. The objective is to maintain continuous crude imports and minimise the possibility that disruption to regional maritime routes translates into shortages at home. Pakistan's refineries have already begun approaching international trading companies, according to officials who attended the meeting. The contacts are intended to determine whether crude can be secured from alternative suppliers should the disruption to traditional Gulf routes persist. Potential sources being examined include the United States, Nigeria and several Central Asian countries, while Singapore is also among the alternatives under consideration. The effort represents an attempt to reduce Pakistan's dependence on Gulf supplies if uncertainty surrounding regional shipping continues. At the centre of the concern are developments affecting the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb, whose reported disruption has forced policymakers and refiners to examine con tingency arrangements. The government's immediate priority is continuity rather than a permanent restructuring of crude procurement. Officials are seeking alternative arrangements that could keep supplies flowing and ensure Pakistan's fuel requirements are met without interruption if existing routes become unavailable or unreliable. The emergency meeting indicates the urgency with which the authorities are treating the potential supply shock. Rather than waiting for disruption to translate into shortages, refineries have been instructed to assess alternative suppliers and transportation options in advance. International trading companies are playing a role in that search, with refiners contacting them to determine the availability of crude from markets outside Pakistan's traditional Gulf supply channels. The range of countries being considered also illustrates the breadth of the contingency exercise. The United States and Nigeria would represent alternative crude sources farther from the Gulf, while Central Asian countries are also being evaluated. Singapore, meanwhile, is included among the potential supply alternatives being explored by refineries. No volumes, prices or agreements with any of the prospective suppliers were specified. Nor was a timetable provided for securing alternative cargoes. The government instead remains focused on assessing options while monitoring the regional situation. Its concern is that continued uncertainty along important maritime oil transit routes could expose Pakistan to supply interruptions unless alternative arrangements are available. The authorities are therefore evaluating contingency measures alongside the refineries' search for new sources. The immediate challenge is to safeguard energy requirements without allowing geopolitical tensions and shipping restrictions to interrupt crude deliveries. For Pakistan, the reported problems at the Strait of Hormuz and restrictions affecting Saudi shipments through Bab el-Mandeb have turned diversification from a longer-term consid eration into an immediate contingency. Whether crude ultimately comes from the United States, Nigeria, Singapore, Central Asia or other suppliers will depend on the alternatives identified by refineries and international traders. For now, the government's instruction is clear: find new routes and sources quickly enough to keep Pakistan's oil supply flowing.