'Same old...': India slams Pakistan's response to naval collision
What's the story
India has rejected Pakistan's allegations relating to a collision between a Pakistani navy vessel and an Indian Navy warship in the Arabian Sea. The incident occurred on Tuesday night when PNS Hunain came close to the Indian Naval warship on a routine surveillance mission in the North Arabian Sea at high speed, maneuvering in "an unprofessional and unsafe manner." New Delhi on Wednesday summoned the Pakistani Charge d'Affaires and lodged a strong protest against what it termed "unacceptable conduct."
Official statement
'Usual prevarication,' says MEA spokesperson
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal dismissed Pakistan's claims, calling them "the usual prevarication that we expected."
"This is the same old stalling we expected. We categorically reject the allegations and insinuations made therein. INS Kolkata was on a routine deployment in the western Arabian Sea when the Pakistan Navy ship PNS Hunain behaved in an unacceptable and unprofessional manner at sea, resulting in the collision," Jaiswal said at a routine MEA briefing on Friday.
Damage report
India advises Pakistan to ensure due care
"The dangerous overtaking maneuver by PNS Hunain was a 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," Jaiswal added.
He explained that this article stipulates that naval units at sea should not come within three nautical miles of each other.
Jaiswal also confirmed that the INS Kolkata did not suffer any major damage in the incident and continues to remain operational.
Pakistan
Pakistan's version
Pakistan had rejected India's version of the incident, with the Foreign Ministry also lodging a strong protest "over a highly provocative and unacceptable action by a vessel of the Indian Navy."
It went on to say it "strongly rejects this belligerent Indian action" and called for the international community to urge India to "abandon its belligerent posture."
It asserted that the collision took place in Pakistan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), while India only referred to the area as international waters.
EEZ
Pakistani Foreign Office called it violation of 1991 bilateral agreement
According to Pakistan's Foreign Office, its navy has been conducting its biennial SEASPARK-26 exercise inside its EEZ since September 1 and the Indian vessel had "repeatedly" tried to enter the area since September 7.
On September 15, it said the Indian vessel carried out "aggressive maneuvers in dangerously close proximity," resulting in the vessels colliding.
The Pakistani Foreign Office called it a violation of a 1991 bilateral agreement requiring warships to stay three nautical miles (5.5km) apart in international waters.