India Protests After Pakistani Naval Ship Collides With Indian Navy Unit
New Delhi — India lodged a strong protest Wednesday with the Charge d’Affaires of the Pakistan High Commission after a Pakistani naval ship collided with an Indian Navy unit during what Indian officials described as an “unprofessional and unsafe” maneuver.
According to sources, the incident occurred on the evening of September 15 in the North Arabian Sea when a Pakistani naval ship approached a frontline Indian naval unit at high speed while the Indian vessel was conducting a routine surveillance mission.
Sources said the Pakistani ship maneuvered in an “unprofessional and unsafe manner,” leading to the collision. No damage was reported.
Pakistan’s envoy was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi, where Indian officials protested the incident.
“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,” the ministry said.
The ministry said the incident occurred in international waters and did not cause any major damage. It said the Pakistani naval ship’s conduct was in direct contravention of Article 10 of the Agreement between India and Pakistan on Advance Notice on Military Exercises, Manoeuvres and Troops Movements of April 1991.
“The Charge d’Affaires of Pakistan was advised to convey to the concerned Pakistani authorities the need for all military units to observe due care and respect the provisions of the relevant agreements between the two sides in order to prevent any repeat of such incidents,” the ministry said.
The ministry added that India’s Charge d’Affaires in Islamabad had also been instructed to lodge a similar protest with Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (Source: IANS)
