Indian government on Wednesday summoned Pakistan’s Charge d’Affaires in New Delhi and lodged a strong protest over a collision between Pakistani and Indian naval units in the Northern Arabian Sea.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) described the conduct of the Pakistani naval units involved in the incident as “unacceptable and unprofessional”.
The MEA said the incident did not cause any major damage. It also said the conduct of the Pakistani naval ship was in direct contravention of Article 10 of the 1991 Agreement between India and Pakistan on Advance Notice on Military Exercises, Manoeuvres and Troops Movements.
What happened between the two naval units?
The MEA has not provided detailed information about the circumstances that led to the collision. It said that the incident took place in international waters and involved Pakistani naval units and a unit of the Indian Navy.
“While the incident, which took place in international waters, did not cause any major damage, the conduct of the Pakistani naval ship was in direct contravention of Article 10 of the Agreement between India and Pakistan on Advance Notice on Military Exercises, Manoeuvres and Troops Movements of April 1991,” the MEA said in its statement.
The ministry did not disclose the names of the vessels involved or provide details about their movements before the collision. It also did not report any major damage or casualties from the incident.
Why has India invoked 1991 agreement?
The MEA referred specifically to Article 10 of the Agreement between India and Pakistan on Advance Notice on Military Exercises, Manoeuvres and Troops Movements, signed in April 1991.
The agreement provides a framework for the two countries to give advance information about certain military activities and movements. India said the conduct of the Pakistani naval ship in this incident was in direct contravention of Article 10.
The reference to the 1991 agreement gives the diplomatic protest a specific bilateral basis. India has previously invoked the same agreement in a naval incident involving the two countries.
According to an MEA publication, India lodged a protest with Pakistan in June 2011 over what it described at the time as “manoeuvres” by Pakistan Navy ship PNS Babur involving INS Godavari on the high seas. The MEA said that incident also involved Article 10 of the 1991 agreement.
The current MEA statement, however, does not say that the September 2026 incident is similar to the 2011 case. It only identifies Article 10 as the provision that India says the Pakistani naval conduct contravened.
The ministry has asked Pakistan to ensure that such an incident does not happen again.
“The Charge d’Affaires of Pakistan was advised to convey to the concerned Pakistani authorities the need for all military units to observe due care and respect the provisions of the relevant agreements between the two sides in order to prevent any repeat of such incidents,” the MEA said.
The MEA said the Charge d’Affaires of India in Islamabad had been instructed to lodge a similar protest with Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The MEA has not announced any further action against Pakistan in connection with the incident.