NEW DELHI — India has summoned Pakistan’s top diplomat in New Delhi and lodged a strong protest following a collision between an Indian Navy vessel and a Pakistani naval ship in international waters of the Arabian Sea.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs said the incident occurred on Tuesday, September 15, and described the conduct of the Pakistani naval units involved as “unacceptable and unprofessional.” The ministry said the collision did not cause any major damage.
According to Indian officials, the Pakistani naval vessel approached an Indian Navy warship operating on a routine surveillance mission in the northern Arabian Sea. Indian sources said the Pakistani vessel approached at high speed and manoeuvred in an unsafe manner before the collision.
India said the incident took place in international waters and raised concerns over compliance with a 1991 bilateral agreement between India and Pakistan. The agreement includes provisions intended to promote safety and prevent incidents involving military vessels.
The Pakistani Charge d’Affaires was asked to convey to Islamabad the need for military units to exercise due care at sea and respect bilateral agreements to prevent similar incidents in the future. India also instructed its Charge d’Affaires in Islamabad to lodge a corresponding protest with Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry.
There was no immediate public response from the Pakistani government to India’s protest, according to the latest reports. The incident comes against the backdrop of already strained relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
