‘PNS Hunain violated maritime norms’: India rejects Pak’s claims over naval collision

India rejects Pakistan’s claims after INS Kolkata collision with PNS Hunain

NEW DELHI: India on Friday rejected Pakistan’s allegations over the collision between the Indian Navy’s INS Kolkata and Pakistan Navy’s PNS Hunain in the Arabian Sea, saying the Pakistani vessel carried out a dangerous manoeuvre in violation of a 1991 bilateral agreement and international maritime regulations.MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal described Pakistan’s response to India’s protest as “usual prevarication” and rejected the allegations and insinuations made by Islamabad.“We have seen Pakistan’s response to the protest we had 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. The dangerous overtaking maneuver by PNS Hunain was in gross violation of Article 10 of the Agreement Between India and Pakistan on Advance Notice on Military Exercises, Maneuvers and Troop Movements of 1991, which clearly specifies that naval units at sea are not to be within three nautical miles of each other. In addition, the Pakistani ship also infringed the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea. The Pakistani side has once again been advised about 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 incident did not cause any major damage to INS Kolkata, and she remains at sea…”

The collision took place on September 15 in the North Arabian Sea. India has said the incident occurred in international waters, while Pakistan has claimed that it took place within its exclusive economic zone during its SEASPARK-26 naval exercise.Under Article 10 of the 1991 agreement, naval vessels operating at sea are required to maintain a minimum separation of three nautical miles. India has maintained that PNS Hunain came close to INS Kolkata at high speed before the collision.Pakistan has disputed India’s account and accused the Indian warship of carrying out aggressive manoeuvres near its naval vessel. Both countries have lodged diplomatic protests following the incident.India said the collision did not cause major damage to INS Kolkata, which continued its deployment. Reports said the Pakistani vessel was damaged and subsequently returned to port.