New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS): India on Friday rejected Pakistan’s allegations over the collision between the Indian Navy’s INS Kolkata and Pakistani naval ship Hunain in the western Arabian Sea on September 15, terming them as “usual prevarication”.
Addressing a bi-weekly media briefing in New Delhi on Friday, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that Pakistani naval ship Hunain’s conduct was “unacceptable and unprofessional” , which caused the collision. However, INS Kolkata did not suffer any damage.
“We have seen the Pakistan’s response to the protest we have lodged. It is the usual prevarication that we expected. We reject the allegations and insinuations contained therein. Let me reiterate the facts of the matter for you. INS Kolkata was on a routine deployment in the Western Arabian Sea when Pakistani naval ship Hunain conducted itself in an unacceptable and unprofessional manner at sea that resulted in a collision,” Jaiswal told reporters.
“The dangerous overtaking maneuver by PNS Hunain was in gross violation of Article 10 of the Agreement Between India and Pakistan on Advance Notice on Military Exercises, Maneuvers and Troop Movements of 1991, which clearly specifies that naval units at sea are not to be within three nautical miles of each other. In addition, the Pakistani ship also infringed the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea. The Pakistani side has once again been advised about the need for all military units to observe due care and respect the provisions of the relevant agreements between the two sides in order to prevent any repeat of such incidents. The incident did not cause any major damage to INS Kolkata and she remains at sea,” he added.
MEA’s response came after Pakistan had accused an Indian naval ship of carrying out a provocative manoeuvre that resulted in a collision with the Pakistan Navy Ship in the Arabian Sea.
On Wednesday, India summoned the Charge d’Affaires of the Pakistan High Commission and lodged a strong protest after the Pakistani naval ship’s action at sea.
“The Charge d’Affaires of the High Commission for the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in New Delhi was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs today and a strong protest was lodged with him over the unacceptable and unprofessional conduct of Pakistani naval units at sea that led to a collision with a unit of the Indian Navy,” the MEA said.
The MEA stated that the incident, which took place in international waters, did not cause any major damage, but the Pakistani naval ship’s conduct was in direct contravention of Article 10 of the Agreement between India and Pakistan on Advance Notice on Military Exercises, Manoeuvres and Troops Movements of April 1991.
“The Charge d’Affaires of Pakistan was advised to convey to the concerned Pakistani authorities the need for all military units to observe due care and respect the provisions of the relevant agreements between the two sides in order to prevent any repeat of such incidents,” the MEA mentioned in a statement.
“The Charge d’Affaires of India in Islamabad has also been instructed to lodge a similar protest with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” it added.
