India Summons Top Pakistani Envoy After Warship Collision in International Waters in Arabian Sea
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
The Ministry of External Affairs summoned Pakistan's Charge d'Affaires in New Delhi on Wednesday, lodging a formal protest over a high-seas collision involving an Indian Navy warship and a Pakistani naval vessel.
Indian diplomats condemned the actions of the Pakistani naval unit as "unacceptable and unprofessional conduct" during operations in international waters. While official confirmation verified that the incident caused no major structural damage to the Indian Navy ship, New Delhi moved swiftly to flag the dangerous breach of maritime protocol.
Violation of 1991 Bilateral Military Treaty
The collision directly violated long-standing maritime security frameworks established between the two South Asian neighbours.
Specifically, Indian officials pointed to a clear breach of existing bilateral agreements:
- Treaty Violation: The actions of the Pakistani naval ship contravened Article 10 of the Agreement between India and Pakistan on Advance Notice on Military Exercises, Manoeuvres and Troops Movements, signed in April 1991.
- Diplomatic Demarche: The Ministry of External Affairs instructed Pakistan's Charge d'Affaires to warn naval authorities in Islamabad that military units must maintain due care and observe established operational protocols to prevent dangerous encounters at sea.
- Parallel Action in Islamabad: India's Charge d'Affaires in Islamabad was simultaneously instructed to lodge a matching formal diplomatic protest directly with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan.
Escalating Tensions Over Maritime Operations
The collision highlights growing operational friction along international maritime corridors where both navies maintain patrol deployments.
Indian diplomatic officials emphasised that military commanders at sea must adhere strictly to bilateral confidence-building measures to prevent tactical miscalculations from triggering wider regional escalations. Islamabad has been told in unambiguous terms to ensure its naval assets exercise caution and uphold international maritime conventions during all routine movements.
