India summons Pakistani diplomat over naval collision in Arabian Sea

India summoned Pakistan's Charge d'Affaires in New Delhi on Wednesday and lodged a strong diplomatic protest over an alleged collision involving naval vessels from the two countries in international waters.

India's Ministry of External Affairs accused a Pakistani naval unit of "unacceptable and unprofessional conduct."

Why did India summon Pakistan's diplomat over the naval collision?

India summoned Pakistan's Charge d'Affaires after accusing a Pakistani naval unit of unsafe conduct that led to a collision with an Indian Navy vessel in the Arabian Sea. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs said the incident occurred on Tuesday and caused no major damage. New Delhi raised the matter by invoking a bilateral military confidence-building agreement with Islamabad.

The incident has added a fresh point of friction between the nuclear-armed neighbours. India's Ministry of External Affairs said the Pakistani diplomat was called to the ministry and asked to convey New Delhi's concerns to the relevant authorities in Pakistan.

What agreement did India say Pakistan violated?

The Indian ministry said the conduct of the Pakistani naval unit was in "direct contravention" of Article 10 of the 1991 Agreement between India and Pakistan on Advance Notice on Military Exercises, Manoeuvres and Troops Movements. The agreement is intended to reduce the risk of military misunderstandings between the two countries. India and Pakistan have a long history of tensions and military confrontation.

India said its Charge d'Affaires in Islamabad had also been instructed to raise the matter with Pakistan's Foreign Ministry. This signalled that New Delhi had chosen to pursue the incident through diplomatic channels rather than escalate further.

"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 Indian ministry said.

How did the naval collision happen?

Indian media reports, citing sources, said the incident occurred in the North Arabian Sea when a Pakistani vessel came close to an Indian Navy warship conducting a routine surveillance mission. Those accounts alleged that the Pakistani vessel approached at high speed and manoeuvred in a way that resulted in the collision. The allegations have not been independently verified.

The diplomatic protest comes amid heightened sensitivity in India-Pakistan military relations, making New Delhi's decision to invoke a bilateral military agreement notable. India itself said the incident did not cause major damage. Pakistan is also expected to issue a statement on the matter soon.