India Summons Pakistani Diplomat After Arabian Sea Incident

India has accused Pakistan of disregarding a bilateral agreement following a naval collision in the Arabian Sea, leading to the summoning of Pakistan's senior diplomat in New Delhi. On Wednesday, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs stated that a Pakistani naval vessel had collided with an Indian warship in international waters the previous day.

Highlights

• India claims a Pakistani naval ship collided with an Indian warship in the Arabian Sea on September 15.
• The Indian Ministry of External Affairs stated this incident violated a 1991 bilateral agreement.
• This agreement mandates that naval ships and submarines of both nations maintain a distance of at least three nautical miles in international waters.
• India summoned the Pakistani diplomat to lodge a protest, emphasizing the need for military units to respect existing agreements to prevent future occurrences.

Details

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs described the Pakistani Navy's conduct as "unacceptable and unprofessional," leading to the collision with an Indian Navy unit. A protest was lodged with Pakistan's Charge d'Affaires of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi. Furthermore, India's Charge d'Affaires in Islamabad was instructed to submit a similar protest to Pakistan's foreign ministry.

This incident marks the first direct military tension between the nuclear-armed neighbors since a four-day direct conflict last year. The two countries have not exchanged ambassadors since 2019, when diplomatic ties were downgraded after India revoked the special status of Indian-administered Kashmir.

Why it matters

This collision introduces a new point of tension in the already delicate relationship between India and Pakistan. Non-adherence to bilateral agreements by military units of both nations could pose risks to regional stability and underscores the importance of diplomatic efforts to prevent potential future conflicts.