India Protests Pakistan Naval Ship Collision in Arabian Sea

Kathmandu. India has formally protested to Pakistan after Indian and Pakistani naval ships collided in the Arabian Sea. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs summoned the 'Charge d'Affaires' of the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi on Wednesday and strongly protested the Pakistani naval ship's activities, calling them 'unacceptable and unprofessional'. The incident occurred on the evening of September 15 in the international waters of the Northern Arabian Sea, according to the Indian side. Indian sources said that a Pakistani naval ship rapidly approached an Indian Navy frontline warship on a routine surveillance mission. During this, the Pakistani ship changed direction unsafely and carelessly, leading to a collision between the two ships. However, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs stated that there was no major damage from the incident. According to the ministry, the incident occurred in international waters. India stated that the Pakistani ship's activities were a direct violation of Article 10 of the 'Agreement on Advance Notification of Military Exercises, Military Movements and Military Traffic between India and Pakistan' signed in 1991. Through the Pakistani diplomat, the Ministry of External Affairs urged the relevant authorities to exercise necessary caution with all military units deployed at sea and to adhere to the agreements between the two countries. India also emphasized the need for increased vigilance in military activities to prevent such incidents from recurring. India has also directed its 'Charge d'Affaires' in Islamabad to lodge a similar formal protest with the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Amidst ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan on security and military matters in recent years, this incident in the Arabian Sea has also drawn attention to the risks involved in the naval activities of the two countries. In 2011, a similar dispute arose between the Indian naval ship INS Godavari and the Pakistani ship PNS Babur, where both sides accused each other of unsafe activities. In the current incident, India has lodged a diplomatic protest against the Pakistani ship's activities, deeming them a violation of Article 10 of the agreement.