New Delhi: India on Wednesday summoned Pakistan’s Charge d’Affaires Saad Ahmad Warraich and lodged a strong protest following a collision between a Pakistani naval vessel and an Indian Navy warship in international waters.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) described the conduct of the Pakistani naval unit as “unacceptable and unprofessional”. The incident reportedly occurred on the evening of September 15 in the North Arabian Sea, about 220 kilometres east of Oman, while the Indian vessel was conducting a routine surveillance mission.
According to sources, the Pakistani vessel approached the Indian frontline warship at high speed and manoeuvred in what was described as an unsafe manner, resulting in the collision. Rough sea conditions were also reported at the time. No major damage was reported, and both vessels subsequently moved away from each other.
The MEA said the incident occurred in international waters but alleged that the Pakistani naval vessel’s conduct was in direct contravention of Article 10 of the 1991 India-Pakistan agreement concerning advance notice of military exercises, manoeuvres and troop movements.
India advised the Pakistani diplomat to convey to the concerned authorities the need for military units to exercise due care and comply with bilateral agreements to prevent similar incidents.
The Charge d’Affaires was reportedly summoned to the MEA’s Janpath office and remained there for around 30 minutes. India’s Charge d’Affaires in Islamabad has also been instructed to lodge a similar protest with Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry.
Sources said the vessels involved have not been officially identified, though the Pakistani ship was described as a Hunain-class corvette. A similar India-Pakistan naval incident was reported in June 2011 involving Pakistan’s Babur and India’s INS Godavari.
