New Delhi, Sept 16: India on Wednesday lodged a strong protest with Pakistan after a Pakistan Navy ship collided with an Indian Navy warship in international waters in the northern Arabian Sea, with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) describing the conduct of the Pakistani naval unit as “unacceptable and unprofessional.”
The MEA summoned Pakistan’s Charge d’Affaires in New Delhi and conveyed its strong protest over the incident, which occurred on Tuesday while the Indian warship was on a routine surveillance mission.
According to sources, the Pakistan Navy ship approached the Indian warship at high speed and manoeuvred in what they described as an unsafe and unprofessional manner, resulting in the collision.
“The Pakistan Navy Ship was at high speed and was manoeuvring in an unprofessional and unsafe manner. This led to a collision. No damage has been reported,” the sources said.
The MEA said the incident took place in international waters and did not cause any major damage. However, it said the conduct of the Pakistani naval ship was in direct contravention of Article 10 of the April 1991 Agreement between India and Pakistan on Advance Notice on Military Exercises, Manoeuvres and Troops Movements.
The ministry said the Pakistani Charge d’Affaires was advised to convey to the authorities concerned in Pakistan the need for all military units to exercise due care and comply with relevant bilateral agreements to prevent a recurrence of such incidents.
The Indian Charge d’Affaires in Islamabad has also been instructed to lodge a similar protest with Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the MEA said.
