Arabian Sea Standoff: MEA Slams Pakistan Naval Ship’s ‘Unprofessional’ Conduct, Dismisses Collision Allegations as Prevarication

India has strongly rejected counter-allegations from Islamabad regarding a maritime collision in the western Arabian Sea, terming Pakistan’s response as “usual prevarication”. Addressing a media briefing in New Delhi, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal called the conduct of Pakistani naval ship PNS Hunain “unacceptable and unprofessional,” confirming that the vessel’s reckless actions caused the collision with frontline Indian Navy destroyer INS Kolkata. The Indian warship suffered no major damage and continues its operational deployment at sea.

Reckless Overtaking in International Waters

The incident unfolded in international waters of the Arabian Sea when INS Kolkata was engaged in a routine surveillance mission. According to defense reports, the newly commissioned Pakistani offshore patrol vessel PNS Hunain approached the Indian destroyer at high speed and initiated an aggressive, unsafe overtaking manoeuvre. Despite warnings issued over international maritime radio distress channels, the Pakistani warship cut across INS Kolkata’s path, leading to a brush-past collision.

Direct Violation of the 1991 Bilateral Accord

Emphasizing the breach of established maritime protocols, the MEA stated that the dangerous approach directly contravened Article 10 of the 1991 Agreement between India and Pakistan on Advance Notice on Military Exercises, Manoeuvres, and Troop Movements. The bilateral pact explicitly mandates that naval units from both countries must maintain an operational separation of at least three nautical miles (approximately 5.6 kilometres) while navigating at sea. Additionally, New Delhi pointed out that the Pakistani vessel’s manoeuvres infringed the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs).

Diplomatic Protests Lodged in New Delhi and Islamabad

Following the incident, the Ministry of External Affairs summoned the Charge d’Affaires of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi to lodge a formal and stern protest. Parallel instructions were issued to India’s Charge d’Affaires in Islamabad to register an identical diplomatic protest with Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Indian authorities reiterated that military units across the border must observe due caution and strictly respect existing bilateral frameworks to avoid escalatory maritime encounters.