Pakistan lodges strong protest over Indian warship’s violations in its economic zone

According to a statement issued by the Foreign Office in the federal capital, the Pakistan Navy has been conducting the Sea Spark 26 exercises in Pakistan’s exclusive economic zone since 1 September. Since 7 September, an Indian warship and a helicopter deployed on it have made several attempts to enter the exercise area.

The Foreign Office said the Indian warship adopted a dangerous and provocative posture near Pakistan Navy ships. It continued its activities despite repeated warnings.

The Foreign Office also rejected the Indian position that these actions were a routine deployment. It said they were a violation of the 1991 bilateral agreement.

Pakistan said that on 15 September INS Kolkata changed course in a dangerous manner, which led to a brush with PNS Hunain. PNS Hunain tried to avoid a collision. After the incident, the Indian ship increased speed and left the area.

The Foreign Office described the incident as highly provocative. It said such an act could have caused a serious crisis. According to Pakistan, the professional and responsible conduct of the Pakistan Navy prevented the situation from worsening further.

The Foreign Office further said Pakistan views the violations by the Indian Navy with grave concern. It urged India to abide by bilateral agreements and act responsibly. Pakistan demanded that the Indian authorities take immediate steps to prevent a repeat of such incidents.

Pakistan also said India was distorting the facts and trying to escalate the matter at the diplomatic level. It said India had lodged a diplomatic protest against Pakistan and summoned the Pakistani chargé d’affaires.

The Foreign Office further said the Indian position places the responsibility for the incident on a Pakistani naval unit. The official positions of the two countries therefore differ. It added that such actions could affect regional peace.