Pakistan naval vessel breaches 1991 agreement, envoy summoned
The Pakistani diplomat was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs office on Janpath, where he stayed for about 30 minutes.
A warship of the Pakistan Navy collided with a patrol vessel of the Indian Navy. This incident occurred in the international waters of the Arabian Sea at 7:10 PM on September 15. Reports suggest that the Indian Navy's frontline warship was on a routine surveillance mission in the northern Arabian Sea. During this time, a Pakistan Navy vessel approached the Indian warship at high speed, resulting in the collision. A video that went viral on social media yesterday showed both ships sailing very close to each other.
The video clearly shows that there was no safe distance between the two ships, and ultimately they collided. According to media reports, the Pakistani vessel is identified as PNS Hussain. This ship is used for maritime surveillance and patrolling. The collision caused significant damage to the Pakistani vessel, which had to return to port. However, the identity of the Indian Navy ship involved in the collision has not yet been determined.
Following this incident, India summoned the Charge d'Affaires of Pakistan. The Ministry of External Affairs stated that Pakistani diplomat Sada Ahmed Warraich was summoned to register a strong protest against the “unacceptable and unprofessional conduct” of Pakistani naval units in international waters. According to the ministry, this conduct led to the collision between the two ships. The ministry's statement noted that the incident occurred in international waters and did not result in any major damage.
The Charge d'Affaires of Pakistan was asked to convey to the relevant Pakistani authorities that all military units should exercise due caution and respect the provisions of the relevant agreements between the two countries to prevent such incidents from occurring again. The Pakistani diplomat was also instructed to relay India's message to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan. The statement further mentioned, “India's Charge d'Affaires in Islamabad has also been directed to register a similar protest before the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.”
The Pakistani diplomat was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs office located on Janpath, where he stayed for about 30 minutes. The ministry stated that the conduct of the Pakistani naval vessel was a direct violation of Article 10 of the agreement between India and Pakistan made in 1991.
In fact, between India and Pakistan,
an agreement was made on April 6, 1991. According to this agreement, both countries are required to inform each other in advance about major military activities, exercises, and troop movements near the border. At the time this agreement was made, the Prime Minister of India was Chandra Shekhar. This agreement came into effect on August 19, 1992, and India also registered it with the United Nations in December 1994.
The purpose of this agreement, made 35 years ago, was to ensure that ships and submarines of both countries do not come too close to each other in international waters, to avoid collisions and other accidents. Under this, it is necessary to provide prior information about military exercises and troop movements. Rules regarding the distance between warships and submarines were also established. Article 10 of this agreement states that warships and submarines of India and Pakistan cannot come within 3 nautical miles, or about 5.56 kilometers, of each other in international waters.
However, a statement has also come from Pakistan regarding this matter. According to a report by BBC, Pakistan has alleged that
the Indian Navy engaged in provocative actions in its exclusive economic zone. On this issue, the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Charge d'Affaires of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad and lodged a protest regarding the collision with the Indian naval warship on Tuesday.
The Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a statement on Wednesday that while the Pakistan Navy was conducting its biennial CPARK-26 exercise, the Indian vessel aggressively maneuvered very close to the Pakistani naval vessel. The Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in its statement, “The Charge d'Affaires was told to convey to the Government of India that Pakistan strongly rejects this Indian action.”
A similar incident had occurred earlier as well. In 2011, a similar incident took place between INS Godavari and Pakistan's PNS Babar in the Arabian Sea/high seas area. At that time too, both sides accused each other of dangerous maneuvering, and India lodged a protest against Pakistan citing Article 10.