NEW DELHI, September 17: India and Pakistan have exchanged formal diplomatic protests after an Indian Navy warship and a Pakistan Navy vessel collided in the North Arabian Sea on September 15, with the two countries giving sharply different accounts of how the incident occurred.
India says the collision took place in international waters after the Pakistani vessel approached its warship in an unsafe manner, while Pakistan says the incident occurred inside its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) during a naval exercise and accuses the Indian vessel of dangerous manoeuvring.
India Summons Pakistan’s Top Diplomat
India’s Ministry of External Affairs summoned Pakistan’s Charge d’Affaires in New Delhi and lodged a formal protest over the incident.
The Indian side described the conduct of the Pakistani naval unit as “unacceptable and unprofessional” and said it had led to the collision with the Indian Navy vessel.
Indian officials said the Pakistani vessel approached the Indian warship at high speed and failed to manoeuvre safely before the ships made contact.
India also instructed its diplomatic representative in Islamabad to raise the matter with Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry.
Pakistan Lodges Counter-Protest
Pakistan subsequently summoned India’s Charge d’Affaires in Islamabad and issued its own protest over the collision.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said its navy was conducting the SEASPARK-26 exercise when an Indian Navy vessel allegedly carried out aggressive manoeuvres close to a Pakistani ship. Islamabad described the Indian action as provocative and said it risked increasing regional tensions.
Pakistan maintains that the incident took place within its Exclusive Economic Zone, while India says the ships were operating in international waters. Independent confirmation of the precise location and sequence of manoeuvres has not been made public.
Pakistani Vessel Identified as PNS Hunain
Indian officials identified the Pakistani vessel involved as PNS Hunain, a Yarmook-class corvette of the Pakistan Navy.
The collision reportedly occurred approximately 120 nautical miles from the Gulf of Oman on the evening of September 15.
According to Indian officials, PNS Hunain suffered damage and subsequently headed back towards its home port, while no significant damage was reported to the Indian warship, which continued its surveillance mission.
Pakistan’s official statement did not provide the same assessment of damage to the vessels.
Both Sides Cite 1991 Bilateral Agreement
India and Pakistan have both referred to a 1991 bilateral agreement covering military exercises, manoeuvres and troop movements while accusing the other side of violating established safeguards.
Indian officials have cited provisions requiring naval vessels and submarines of the two countries to maintain a safe separation in international waters to reduce the risk of accidents and misunderstandings.
Pakistan has similarly said the incident breached the bilateral arrangement and called on India to follow international law and agreements intended to prevent dangerous encounters at sea.
No Casualties Reported
No casualties have been reported in connection with the collision.
Indian officials said their vessel did not suffer structural damage or injuries to personnel and continued its routine mission following the incident.
The episode has nevertheless triggered diplomatic exchanges between New Delhi and Islamabad because it involved operational naval vessels from the two countries coming into direct physical contact.
Similar Naval Incident Occurred in 2011
India and Pakistan have faced a comparable maritime dispute before.
In June 2011, Indian Navy ship INS Godavari and Pakistan Navy ship PNS Babur made contact during operations connected to the merchant vessel MV Suez in the Gulf of Aden.
Pakistan also lodged a diplomatic protest at the time, alleging dangerous manoeuvring and citing the same 1991 bilateral agreement.
In the latest case, both governments have urged adherence to maritime safety rules and bilateral arrangements, even as they continue to dispute responsibility for the September 15 collision.
source – Reuters / Associated Press / The Indian Express / Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Supreme News Network
