Pakistan Protests After Naval Vessels Make Contact in Arabian Sea
Pakistan has lodged a formal protest with India following a maritime incident involving naval vessels from the two countries in the Arabian Sea.
The Foreign Office said Pakistan summoned the Chargé d’Affaires of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad over the incident, which took place on September 15 during the Pakistan Navy’s biennial SEASPARK-26 exercise.
According to Pakistan’s Foreign Office, an Indian Navy vessel carried out manoeuvres close to a Pakistani naval ship inside Pakistan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The two vessels subsequently made contact.
Pakistan said the incident was inconsistent with international law and the 1991 agreement on advance notice of military exercises, manoeuvres and troop movements. Islamabad also called for compliance with bilateral arrangements designed to help prevent incidents at sea.
India Lodges Its Own Protest
India has presented a different account of the incident.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs said the collision occurred in international waters and accused a Pakistani naval vessel of approaching an Indian Navy ship at high speed and manoeuvring in what it described as an unsafe manner.
New Delhi also summoned Pakistan’s Chargé d’Affaires and lodged a formal protest. India said the incident involved a violation of Article 10 of the 1991 bilateral agreement and called for naval units from both countries to follow the relevant safety provisions.
Diplomatic Protests Exchanged
Following the incident, both countries took diplomatic steps through their respective missions.
Pakistan said its Chargé d’Affaires in New Delhi would lodge a corresponding demarche with India’s Ministry of External Affairs. India also instructed its representative in Islamabad to lodge a similar protest with Pakistan.
The incident has added to existing diplomatic tensions between Pakistan and India, with both sides calling for adherence to bilateral agreements and procedures intended to prevent further maritime incidents.
The exact circumstances surrounding the contact remain disputed, as Pakistan and India have provided different accounts of the location and events leading to the incident.
