Pakistan lodges protest after Delhi summons Islamabad envoy over warship collision in Arabian Sea

Pakistan in a statement stated that it has lodged a protest after a 'highly provocative and unacceptable' action by an Indian Navy vessel on September 15. The statement read: "The incident constituted a serious violation of international law and the bilateral agreement on Advance Notice on Military Exercises Manoeuvres and Troop Movements, 1991, and risked escalating tensions in the region." This comes a day after a frontline warship of the Indian Navy and a Pakistan Navy vessel were involved in a collision Tuesday evening in international waters in the North Arabian Sea, prompting Delhi to lodge a strong protest with Islamabad Wednesday over the “unprofessional conduct of Pakistani naval units”.

The incident was said to have taken place about 120 nautical miles from the Gulf of Oman. For several months now, Indian Navy destroyers and frigates have been deployed on missions in the North Arabian Sea. Official sources identified the Pakistani vessel as PNS Hunain and said it was damaged in the collision, and had headed to its home port.

No damage to the Indian warship was reported and it continued on its routine surveillance mission, the sources said. “The Pakistani ship was approaching at high speed but was unable to manoeuvre safely and in time, causing a slight collision with the Indian warship,” the sources said.

On Wednesday, India summoned Pakistan’s Charge d’Affaires over the incident. A statement from the Ministry of External Affairs said, “The Charge d’Affaires of the High Commission for the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in New Delhi was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs today and a strong protest was lodged with him over the unacceptable and unprofessional conduct of Pakistani naval units at sea that led to a collision with a unit of the Indian Navy.”