NEW DELHI: India on Friday rejected Pakistan’s allegations over the collision between Indian Navy warship INS Kolkata and Pakistani naval vessel PNS Hunain in the western Arabian Sea, calling Islamabad’s response “the usual prevarication”.
The External Affairs Ministry said INS Kolkata was on a routine deployment when PNS Hunain carried out a “dangerous overtaking manoeuvre” that resulted in the collision.
India had on Wednesday summoned the Pakistani Charge d’Affaires (CDA) and lodged a strong protest over the “unacceptable conduct” of the Pakistan Navy vessel. The incident occurred on Tuesday night after the Pakistani vessel closed in on INS Kolkata, which was on a routine surveillance mission in the North Arabian Sea, according to the Indian side.
The Pakistani Foreign Ministry alleged that the collision took place after a “highly provocative and unacceptable action” by the Indian vessel in Pakistan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
“We have seen Pakistan’s response to the protest we had lodged. It is the usual prevarication that we expected. We reject the allegations and insinuations contained therein,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
Jaiswal said the Pakistani vessel conducted itself in an “unacceptable and unprofessional manner” at sea, resulting in the collision.
“The dangerous overtaking manoeuvre by PNS Hunain was in gross violation of Article 10 of the Agreement between India and Pakistan on Advance Notice on Military Exercises, Manoeuvres and Troops Movements of April 1991, which 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,” Jaiswal said.
The incident brings back memories of a similar encounter between the two navies in June 2011, when PNS Babur collided with INS Godavari in the Arabian Sea while the Indian warship was involved in an anti-piracy operation. At that time, both sides blamed each other for the incident.