India Summons Pakistan Envoy, Lodges Strong Protest Over 'Unprofessional' Naval Conduct Leading To Collision With Indian Navy Ship

New Delhi: India has summoned Pakistan's Charge d’Affaires and delivered a strong protest following an incident involving Pakistani naval units that resulted in a collision with an Indian Navy ship. According to a September 16 press release from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the event took place in international waters and did not inflict significant damage.

However, it emphasized that the Pakistani naval ship's behavior was "in direct contravention of Article 10 of the Agreement on Advance Notice on Military Exercises, Manoeuvres, and Troops Movements of April 1991." This is the second such incident in six months in the Arabian Sea, involving a Pakistani vessel displaying dangerous maneuvers against an Indian ship.

Former Naval officials believe the collision may have been intentionally caused by the Pakistani side, with Rear Admiral MD Suresh (Retd.) noting that Channel 16, an international maritime radio channel, is typically used for distress communication, and such incidents are unlikely to occur without deliberate intent. The decision to ram the Indian ship likely originated at a senior level, as Rear Admiral Suresh suggested, claiming that the Pakistani ship's name declaration indicates a higher ranking officer was involved.

The MEA instructed India's Charge d’Affaires in Islamabad to lodge a similar protest with Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.