India protests Pakistan naval vessel’s collision with Indian warship, cites 1991 bilateral agreement

New Delhi, Sep 21. India summoned Pakistan’s Charge d’Affaires in New Delhi and lodged a strong diplomatic protest over a collision between a Pakistan Navy vessel and an Indian Navy warship in the North Arabian Sea, describing the conduct of Pakistani naval units as “unacceptable and unprofessional”.

The collision occurred on the evening of September 15, with the incident becoming public on September 16. According to Indian sources cited by multiple reports, the incident took place in international waters, about 120 nautical miles from the Gulf of Oman. No major damage was reported by India.

The incident has assumed diplomatic significance because it involved naval units of India and Pakistan at a time when military-to-military tensions between the two countries remain high.

What happened at sea

According to Indian sources, a Pakistani naval vessel approached an Indian Navy frontline warship that was undertaking a routine surveillance mission in the North Arabian Sea. The Pakistani vessel was alleged to have approached at high speed and manoeuvred in an unsafe and unprofessional manner, resulting in contact between the two ships.

Reports identified the Pakistani vessel as PNS Hunain, an offshore patrol vessel. The identification has been attributed to Indian sources rather than an official public statement by the Indian Navy or the Ministry of Defence. Subsequent reports said the Pakistani vessel sustained damage and returned to harbour, although details of the damage have not been officially disclosed.

India maintained that the collision occurred in international waters and that there was no major damage. The precise circumstances leading to the contact, including the manoeuvres immediately preceding it, remain disputed between the two sides.

MEA summons Pakistan diplomat

Following the incident, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) summoned Pakistan’s Charge d’Affaires in New Delhi on September 16 and lodged a strong protest over what it called the “unacceptable and unprofessional conduct” of Pakistani naval units.

The ministry said the Pakistani diplomat was advised to convey to the relevant authorities in Islamabad the need for all military units to exercise due care and comply with the provisions of relevant bilateral agreements so that such incidents are not repeated.

India also instructed its Charge d’Affaires in Islamabad to lodge a similar protest with Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, thereby raising the matter through diplomatic channels on both sides of the border.

India invokes 1991 military notification agreement

A key element of India’s diplomatic response was its reference to the April 1991 Agreement between India and Pakistan on Advance Notice on Military Exercises, Manoeuvres and Troop Movements.

The MEA said the conduct of the Pakistani naval units was in direct contravention of Article 10 of the agreement. India consequently stressed the importance of military units observing due caution and respecting existing bilateral arrangements intended to reduce the possibility of dangerous encounters.

The reference is significant because the agreement represents one of the mechanisms developed by the two countries to reduce the risk of inadvertent escalation arising from military activities close to each other’s forces.

Pakistan disputes India’s account

Pakistan has presented a substantially different account of the incident.

According to Pakistan’s Foreign Office, the incident occurred while the Pakistan Navy was conducting its SEASPARK-26 exercise. Islamabad alleged that an Indian warship carried out aggressive manoeuvres in dangerously close proximity to a Pakistani naval vessel, and argued that the incident took place within Pakistan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Pakistan characterised the Indian vessel’s actions as provocative and said they violated international law and the 1991 bilateral agreement.

Thus, the two sides differ on both the circumstances of the encounter and the maritime area in which it occurred: India says the collision took place in international waters and attributes the incident to unsafe conduct by the Pakistani vessel, while Pakistan says the Indian warship was operating provocatively in its EEZ.

Wider maritime significance

The incident comes against the backdrop of an increased Indian naval presence in the North Arabian Sea, where Indian warships have been undertaking surveillance and other operational missions. The region is strategically important because it connects the Arabian Sea with the Gulf of Oman and approaches to the Persian Gulf.

For the Indian Navy, routine surveillance in these waters forms part of India’s broader maritime security responsibilities, including monitoring developments along important sea lanes. The presence of Pakistani naval forces in the same broad maritime theatre creates the possibility of close encounters, making adherence to established procedures and communication protocols particularly important.

The fact that the collision occurred between naval vessels rather than commercial ships adds another layer of sensitivity. Even when an incident does not result in casualties or serious damage, an encounter involving armed forces of two countries can acquire wider strategic and diplomatic implications.

A measured but firm Indian response

India’s response was primarily diplomatic rather than operational, with the MEA summoning Pakistan’s diplomatic representative, formally recording its protest and directing the Indian mission in Islamabad to make a corresponding representation.

At the same time, New Delhi’s emphasis on the 1991 agreement and the need for military units to exercise due care indicates that India is seeking to establish a formal record of its objections and reinforce existing mechanisms designed to prevent similar incidents.

The incident therefore stands out not only because of the physical collision but also because it has brought the management of India-Pakistan naval encounters in the Arabian Sea into sharper focus. With both countries maintaining naval deployments in the wider region, the observance of agreed protocols and avoidance of unsafe manoeuvres will remain important in preventing an isolated maritime incident from developing into a larger security crisis.