India Rejects Pakistan's Claims Over Arabian Sea Naval Collision

India has rejected Pakistan's allegations concerning a collision between an Indian Navy warship and a Pakistani naval vessel in the Arabian Sea, calling the claims a familiar evasion of responsibility.

Protest lodged in New Delhi and Islamabad

The Indian government summoned Pakistan's Charge d'Affaires in New Delhi on Wednesday and lodged a strong protest over what it described as the unacceptable conduct of the Pakistan Navy vessel involved in the incident. The Indian Charge d'Affaires in Islamabad was also instructed to register a similar protest with Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

What happened

The collision occurred between INS Kolkata and PNS Hunain on Tuesday night. The Pakistani vessel is reported to have closed in on the Indian warship, which was carrying out a routine surveillance mission in the north Arabian Sea.

MEA response

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India had seen Pakistan's response to the protest and rejected the allegations and insinuations it contained. He described the Pakistani reply as the usual prevarication that had been expected.

Jaiswal said INS Kolkata was on a routine deployment in the western Arabian Sea when PNS Hunain conducted itself in an unacceptable and unprofessional manner, causing the collision. He said the dangerous overtaking manoeuvre by the Pakistani ship was in gross violation of Article 10 of the Agreement between India and Pakistan on Advance Notice on Military Exercises, Manoeuvres and Troops Movements of April 1991, which specifies that naval units at sea are not to come within three nautical miles of each other. The Pakistani vessel also infringed the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, he added.

Pakistan's foreign ministry had alleged that the incident followed what it called a highly provocative and unacceptable action by the Indian vessel in Pakistan's Exclusive Economic Zone.

No major damage to INS Kolkata

According to Jaiswal, the incident did not cause any major damage to INS Kolkata, which remains at sea. The Pakistan Navy ship was observed heading to harbour after sustaining damage.

India has once again advised Pakistan that all military units must observe due care and respect the provisions of the relevant agreements between the two countries to prevent such incidents.