New Delhi: India on Wednesday lodged a "strong" diplomatic protest with Pakistan after a Pakistani naval ship collided with an Indian Navy vessel in international waters, according to the statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs. The Pakistani High Commissioner in New Delhi was summoned to South Block, where senior MEA officials conveyed India's serious concern over the incident.
India dubs the act as"reckless and unprofessional"
India described the collision as a "reckless and unprofessional act" that endangered the safety of Indian naval personnel and violated established norms of navigation on the high seas.
"While the incident, which took place in international waters, did not cause any major damage, the conduct of the Pakistani naval ship 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," MEA said in a staunch message to Pakistani government.
'Convey this to Pakistani authorities': India's strong message to envoy
Further, it said that 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," according to the statement.
Pakistan yet to react
Pakistan's response is awaited. The development comes against the backdrop of already strained bilateral relations between the two countries. Further updates are expected as both navies and diplomatic channels continue to assess the situation. The Daily Jagran will update the article once a response from Islamabad comes.
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