Dbarta24 Desk – India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) summoned Pakistan’s Charge d’Affaires in New Delhi on Wednesday, September 16, following a mid-sea collision involving an Indian Navy warship and a Pakistani vessel in international waters.
Indian officials condemned the incident, labeling the actions of the Pakistani ship as “unacceptable and unprofessional.”
According to official statements from India’s diplomatic corps, no major damage or casualties were reported during the encounter.
Breach of Bilateral Maritime Protocols
Despite the lack of catastrophic damage, Indian authorities emphasized that the maneuver constituted a direct breach of established military protocols. New Delhi accused Islamabad of violating Article 10 of the 1991 bilateral agreement, which governs advance notifications regarding military exercises, maneuvers, and troop movements between the two neighboring nations.
Under the specific provisions of Article 10, vessels belonging to both nations are required to maintain a safe distance of at least 3 nautical miles from one another while navigating international waters.
Regional Diplomatic Fallout
The formal diplomatic protest highlights persistent friction between the two nuclear-armed neighbors across shared maritime borders. While maritime encounters in international waters require strict adherence to international navigation standards and bilateral confidence-building measures, Indian officials stressed that such lapses risk escalating unnecessary military tension.
Pakistan’s high commission in New Delhi has yet to issue an official response regarding the summons or the specific details of the collision.