ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday lodged a strong protest with India over what it described as provocative and irresponsible actions by Indian Navy vessel INS Kolkata in Pakistan’s Exclusive Economic Zone, saying the incident could have triggered a serious crisis.
Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said the Indian warship and its onboard helicopter had repeatedly attempted to enter the area where the Pakistan Navy has been conducting Sea Spark 26 exercises since Sept. 1.
According to Pakistan’s account, INS Kolkata carried out dangerous manoeuvres near Pakistan Navy vessels despite repeated warnings. The Foreign Office said the Indian vessel’s activities violated the 1991 bilateral agreement between Pakistan and India.
The Foreign Office said that on Sept. 15, INS Kolkata changed course dangerously and came into contact with Pakistan Navy vessel PNS Hunain. It said PNS Hunain attempted to avoid the collision, but the vessels made contact before the Indian ship increased speed and left the area.
Pakistan described the incident as highly provocative and said the professional conduct of its naval personnel prevented the situation from escalating further.
The Foreign Office said Pakistan viewed the alleged Indian naval violations with serious concern and called on India to respect international law and bilateral agreements.
It also accused India of presenting a distorted version of events and said the actions reflected an attempt to escalate the matter diplomatically.
The Foreign Office said India’s chargé d’affaires was summoned in Islamabad and a strong protest was conveyed over the incident. Pakistan also said its High Commission in New Delhi would deliver a formal protest note to India’s Ministry of External Affairs.
India, meanwhile, has presented a different account of the incident. Its Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that it had summoned Pakistan’s chargé d’affaires and lodged a protest over what it called the “unacceptable and unprofessional” conduct of Pakistani naval units that led to a collision with an Indian Navy vessel in international waters.
India said the incident caused no major damage and accused the Pakistani vessel of violating Article 10 of the 1991 agreement governing advance notice of military exercises, maneuvers and troop movements.
The conflicting accounts underscore heightened tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors following the maritime incident in the North Arabian Sea.