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 “usual prevarication”. Addressing a bi-weekly media briefing in New Delhi, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the Pakistani naval ship had acted in an “unacceptable and unprofessional” manner, resulting in the collision.
On Wednesday, India summoned the Charge d’Affaires of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi and lodged a strong protest over the incident. “We have seen the Pakistan’s response to the protest we have lodged. It is the usual prevarication that we expected. We reject the allegations and insinuations contained therein. Let me reiterate the facts of the matter for you.
INS Kolkata was on a routine deployment in the Western Arabian Sea when Pakistani naval ship Hunain conducted itself in an unacceptable and unprofessional manner at sea that resulted in a collision,” Jaiswal told reporters. Jaiswal said the incident involved a “dangerous overtaking manoeuvre” by PNS Hunain, which he said was in violation of Article 10 of the 1991 Agreement Between India and Pakistan on Advance Notice on Military Exercises, Maneuvers and Troop Movements. “The incident did not cause any major damage to INS Kolkata, and she remains at sea,” he said. “The Charge d’Affaires of the High Commission for the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in New Delhi was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs today and a strong protest was lodged with him over the unacceptable and unprofessional conduct of Pakistani naval units at sea that led to a collision with a unit of the Indian Navy,” the MEA said. “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,” the MEA said.
