India summoned Pakistan’s most senior diplomat in New Delhi to protest a confrontation that involved the clash between a warship of Pakistan and an Indian frontline vessel in the international waters of the Arabian Sea on Wednesday.
This act constituted “unprofessional conduct” that violated safety norms stated in the bilateral agreement signed in 1991 between both nations, according to Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
This diplomatic demarche is in response to a high-speed and unsafe approach of a Pakistan Navy vessel towards an Indian warship conducting routine surveillance operations. The incident : Even though there is no damage to any ship as such, but the act clearly breaches the basic norms of maritime safety in the international waters. The diplomatic action : Saad Warraich, Pakistan’s charge d’affaires in New Delhi has been summoned to MEA for the official demarche whereas India’s envoy in Islamabad is protesting similarly. The call for compliance : New Delhi requested Pakistani authorities to implement a strict compliance to their existing military treaties in order to prevent dangerous situations in international waters.
It was a direct violation of Article 10 of the important bilateral agreement of 1991 known as the “Agreement on Advance Notice on Military Exercises, Manoeuvres and Troop Movements. Three-nautical-mile rule : Under Article 10, it is clearly stated that naval ships and submarines of the two countries should always be separated by a minimum distance of three nautical miles. Historical background : The treaty was signed on April 6, 1991, during the tenure of Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar as an essential confidence-building measure to prevent any accidental military confrontation. Provisions of the treaty : Besides maritime safety measures, this treaty imposes strict time limits of 15-90 days for notification regarding major land, sea, and air maneuvers, along with restrictions on combat aircraft operating in the air defense identification zone.
