Indian Warship Collides With Pakistani Vessel In Arabian Sea, Diplomat Summoned

New Delhi: An incident has come to light in the sea between India and Pakistan, which has created new concerns amid the ongoing tension between the two countries. On the evening of 15 September, a frontline warship of the Indian Navy and a ship of the Pakistan Navy collided in the North Arabian Sea. According to the Indian side, the Pakistani ship had come too close to the Indian ship and the manner in which it changed direction was not considered appropriate for safe navigation. After the collision, India lodged a formal protest with Pakistan. At present there is no news of any major damage.

What happened in the sea?

The incident occurred when the Indian Navy warship was on routine patrol in the North Arabian Sea. Meanwhile, a ship of Pakistan Navy reached near him. According to Indian sources, the speed and maneuvering of the Pakistani vessel were such that the distance between the two ships closed rapidly.

After this both the ships collided with each other. The situation in the maritime area was brought under control immediately after the incident. Detailed information about the extent of damage caused to the ships has not been revealed yet. The names of the two naval ships and the exact location of the collision have also not been made public.

Why was India summoning Pakistan?

Instead of dismissing the incident as a mere maritime accident, New Delhi has lodged a formal protest with Pakistan. Pakistan's acting ambassador was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian side expressed displeasure over the behaviour of the Pakistani naval unit.

According to India, military units of both countries deployed at sea are expected to act with responsibility and caution. Especially when some arrangements already exist between the two countries regarding maritime activities.

What is written in the 1991 agreement?

India has also cited Article 10 of the India-Pakistan Agreement of April 1991 in this matter. The purpose of this agreement was to reduce the possibility of misunderstandings and accidents arising due to military activities. Under this, there is a provision related to distance regarding operation of naval ships and submarines of both the countries in international waters. This provision is also mentioned in Indian government records. However, the information about the actual distance between the two ships at the time of the current incident has not been made public yet. Therefore, further information will be important to determine how this provision of the agreement was violated.

Has such a dispute happened before between the two countries?

This is not the first time such an incident at sea between the navies of India and Pakistan. In June 2011, India lodged a protest with Pakistan following an incident involving the Indian Navy's INS Godavari and the Pakistani Navy's PNS Babur.

Even at that time, India had described the maneuvering of the Pakistani ship as risky from the point of view of navigational safety. The then records of the Ministry of External Affairs stated that the activities of PNS Babur had affected the safety of INS Godavari and its crew. India had mentioned Article 10 of the 1991 agreement in that case also.

Now what will be India's further action?

There has been no major damage in the current incident, but India has made it clear that such activities in the sea will not be taken lightly. The message conveyed to Pakistan is that naval vessels of both countries need to maintain a safe distance and adhere to bilateral agreements as well as international maritime rules.

At present, no detailed reaction has come from Pakistan regarding the incident. The full picture regarding the cause of the collision, the position of both the vessels and the maneuvering adopted during the incident will become clear only after the relevant investigation and official version.