Pakistan protests alleged Indian warship incursion into EEZ

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has lodged a strong protest with India over what it described as the alleged incursion of an Indian Navy warship into Pakistan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), accusing the vessel of carrying out provocative manoeuvres near Pakistani naval ships.

Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said Indian naval vessels and helicopters had repeatedly attempted to enter the area where the Pakistan Navy has been conducting its Sea Spark-26 exercises since September 1.

According to the spokesperson, the Indian Navy’s INS Kolkata continued what Pakistan described as dangerous manoeuvres despite repeated warnings from Pakistani forces. He said the incident represented a violation of the 1991 bilateral agreement between the two countries and could not be considered a routine naval deployment.

The Foreign Office further alleged that on September 15, INS Kolkata abruptly changed its course and collided with the Pakistan Navy vessel PNS Hunain during the confrontation.

“Despite efforts by PNS Hunain to avoid it, a scraping incident occurred with the Indian vessel,” the spokesperson said.

Pakistan said the Indian warship subsequently left the area, describing its actions as highly provocative and warning that the incident could have triggered a serious crisis between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

The Foreign Office said Pakistan was concerned over what it called repeated violations by the Indian Navy. It maintained that the Pakistan Navy acted professionally and responsibly, helping prevent the situation from escalating further.

The spokesperson also accused India of presenting a distorted account of the incident and using diplomatic channels to escalate the matter.

Pakistan urged India to respect existing bilateral agreements and adhere to responsible conduct at sea, stressing the importance of avoiding actions that could threaten regional peace and stability.