What Is Sir Creek Dispute? Why India And Pakistan Failed To Resolve It | All You Need To Know

India-Pakistan Sir Creek Issue: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday invoked the Sir Creek issue to warn Pakistan. Singh, who was speaking at an 'shastra puja' (worship of weapons) event held at a military base near the border city of Bhuj in Gujarat, on the occasion of Dussehra, warned the neighbouring country against any aggression towards the Sir Creek region.

Singh asserted any aggression by Pakistan towards the Sir Creek region would be met with a "resounding response" that could change "history and geography". "Despite 78 years of independence, the border dispute continues in the Sir Creek area. India has repeatedly attempted to resolve this issue through dialogue, but Pakistan's intentions are flawed and unclear," Singh said, adding the recent expansion of its (Pakistan's) military infrastructure in the areas adjacent to Sir Creek reveals its intentions.

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Meanwhile, the defence minister's remarks on the disputed Sir Creek drew much attention. "In the 1965 war, the Indian Army had demonstrated the capability to reach Lahore. Today in 2025, Pakistan should remember that one route to Karachi passes through the creek," he reminded Pakistan.

What Is The Sir Creek Dispute?

Sir Creek is a 96-km-long tidal estuary between Gujarat's Rann of Kutch and Pakistan. It is considered a disputed region due to varying interpretations of maritime boundary lines by the two sides. The resolution betweenn the Bombay Presidency and the Sindh Government under British rule divided boundaries in 1914, but left Sir Creek’s demarcation vague, causing the dispute. Recently, during the Operation Sindoor, Pakistan made an unsuccessful attempt to penetrate India's defence system from Leh to Sir Creek.

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Where Is The Status Of The Issue?

According to the Home Minister's website, India and Pakistan have held bilateral talks on the Sir Creek issue, including under the composite dialogue. The last such formal talks were held in June 2012 and the two sides inter-alia discussed the land boundary in the Sir Creek area and delimitation of the International Maritime Boundary between India and Pakistan.

In December 2015, it was agreed to start a comprehensive bilateral dialogue on several standing issues, including the Sir Creek dispute. However, the terror attack on the airbase in Pathankot in January 2016 and Pakistan’s continued support to cross-border terrorism against India has prevented the holding of any structured bilateral dialogue on the issue.

(With PTI inputs)