By Anjali Sharma
WASHINGTON – The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Friday said that Pakistan Naval Ship PNS Hunain’s conduct was “unacceptable and unprofessional”.
India has rejected Pakistan’s allegations over the collision between the Indian Navy’s INS Kolkata and Pakistani naval ship PNS Hunain in the western Arabian Sea on September 15.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal noted that PNS Hunain’s conduct was “unacceptable and unprofessional”. The 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,” media reports quoted Jaiswal as saying.
He added, “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”.
The response from the Ministry of External Affairs came after Islamabad accused the Indian naval ship of carrying out a provocative manoeuvre resulting in a collision with the Pakistan navy ship in the Arabian Sea.
India had summoned the Charge d’Affaires of the Pakistan High Commission to lodge 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 noted that the incident took place in international waters and did not cause any major damage. It highlighted that 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, according to media reports.
The MEA mentioned in a statement “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 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.
