India rejects Pakistan’s accusations over Arabian Sea collision: “PNS Hunain conducted in an unacceptable manner” | Today’s news
India on Friday rejected accusations from Pakistan regarding the alleged collision between a Pakistani vessel and an Indian Navy warship in the Arabian Sea.
New Delhi reacts to Pakistan’s claims
On Wednesday, the Indian government summoned Pakistan’s chargé d’affaires (CDA) and lodged a strong protest against the “unacceptable conduct” of the Pakistan Navy vessel that led to the collision.
India’s chargé d’affaires in Islamabad has also been instructed to lodge a similar protest with Pakistan’s Ministry of External Affairs, ANI reported.
What happened
A collision occurred between INS Kolkata and PNS Hunain in the Arabian Sea.
The incident took place on Tuesday night, PTI reported. The Pakistani vessel is said to have approached the Indian Navy’s front-line warship, which was on a routine surveillance mission in the North Arabian Sea.
Pakistani accusations
Pakistan’s foreign ministry claimed the incident took place after what it called a “highly provocative and unacceptable action” by an Indian vessel in Pakistan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
MEA responds
“We have seen Pakistan’s response to the protest we filed. It is the usual premonition we expected. We reject the allegations and insinuations contained in them,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during his media briefing, according to PTI.
Jaiswal alleged that the Indian ship INS Kolkata was on a routine deployment in the western Arabian Sea when the Pakistani naval ship Hunain behaved in an “unacceptable and unprofessional manner”, causing the collision at sea.
“The dangerous overtaking maneuver by PNS Hunain was a flagrant violation of Article 10 of the India-Pakistan Agreement on Advance Notification of Military Exercises, Maneuvers and Troop Movements of April 1991, which stipulates that naval units at sea should not be within three nautical miles of each other. In addition, the Javisfrovalis at the Pakistanisfrwaleding Sea Collins is also subject to the International Regulations on Military Exercises, Maneuvers and on troop movements, he said according to the news agency.
The Pakistani side was again “educated” on the need for all military units to exercise due care and respect the provisions of relevant agreements between the two countries to avoid such incidents, he added.
According to Jaiswal, the incident did not cause any major damage to INS Kolkata. The vessel is currently at sea.
“The incident did not cause any major damage to INS Kolkata and it remains at sea,” he added.
ANI reported that the Pakistan Navy ship was heading to the port after being damaged.
