New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) summoned Pakistan’s Chargé d’Affaires in New Delhi on Wednesday and lodged a strong protest over a collision involving Pakistani and Indian naval units in international waters.
The MEA described the conduct of the Pakistani naval units as “unacceptable and unprofessional” and said the incident did not cause any major damage.
According to the ministry, the conduct of the Pakistani naval ship was in direct contravention of Article 10 of the Agreement between India and Pakistan on Advance Notice on Military Exercises, Manoeuvres and Troops Movements of April 1991.
During the meeting, Pakistan’s Charge d’Affaires was advised to convey to the concerned Pakistani authorities the need for all military units to exercise due care and respect the provisions of relevant agreements between the two countries to prevent any recurrence of such incidents.
The MEA also said the Charge d’Affaires of India in Islamabad had been instructed to lodge a similar protest with Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to reports, the collision occurred on the evening of September 15 in the North Arabian Sea while an Indian naval warship was carrying out a routine surveillance mission. A Pakistani vessel approached the Indian vessel, and the two came into contact.
The reports further said that the incident occurred around 220 km east of Oman and that rough sea conditions prevailed at the time. The report said the vessels involved had not been officially identified by authorities.
The official MEA statement does not identify the vessels involved or provide details about the circumstances of the collision beyond stating that it occurred in international waters and resulted from the conduct of a Pakistani naval ship.
The latest incident has prompted diplomatic protests from both sides, with India calling for greater adherence to bilateral agreements and due care by military units operating at sea.
