Key facts
- India and Pakistan summoned each other's top diplomats after a naval collision.
- The collision occurred on Tuesday in the Arabian Sea.
- Both countries accused each other of violating a 1991 agreement on military exercises.
- India stated the incident caused no major damage.
- Pakistan accused India of aggressive maneuvers in close proximity to its vessel.
- India accused Pakistan of violating an agreement requiring vessels to stay three nautical miles apart.
India and Pakistan summoned each other's top diplomats in Delhi and Islamabad after two of their naval vessels collided in the Arabian Sea on Tuesday. Both sides blamed each other for the collision and accused the other of violating a 1991 bilateral agreement that requires advance notice of military exercises.
India's external affairs ministry stated it had lodged a strong protest with the Charge d'Affaires of the Pakistani High Commission in Delhi over what it called "unacceptable and unprofessional conduct" of the naval unit. The ministry advised the Pakistani diplomat to convey to his authorities the need for all military units to observe due care and respect the provisions of relevant agreements to prevent a repeat of such incidents.
On the same day, Pakistan's foreign affairs ministry summoned India's Charge d'Affaires in Islamabad, lodging its complaint against what it called a "highly provocative and unacceptable" action by India's naval vessel. Pakistan's ministry stated its navy was conducting its biennial exercise, SEASPARK-26, in its exclusive economic zone when the Indian vessel "carried out aggressive manoeuvres in dangerously close proximity" of its ship.
Pakistan urged the international community to call upon India to "refrain from irresponsible actions that could further destabilise South Asia," saying the region could not afford to be held "hostage to India's reckless pursuit of conflict and instability." The Advance Notice on Military Exercises, Manoeuvres and Troops Movements, signed in 1991, aims to prevent crises arising from misreading intentions. India specifically accused Pakistan of violating Article 10 of this agreement, which mandates that naval vessels and submarines must maintain a distance of at least three nautical miles from each other in international waters to avoid accidents.