An India Pakistan naval collision in international waters prompted New Delhi to summon Pakistan’s top diplomat on September 16 and lodge a formal protest. India’s Ministry of External Affairs said the incident occurred a day earlier in the North Arabian Sea and caused no major damage.
The account released by India attributes the collision to what it described as unsafe and unprofessional conduct by a Pakistani naval unit. Pakistan’s government and military had not issued an immediate public response when Reuters and the Associated Press reported the protest. That absence matters: details about how the ships approached each other currently come principally from the Indian side and should be read as attributed claims, not an independently established reconstruction.
What India says happened in the naval collision
According to the Indian government’s statement and Indian officials cited by Reuters and The Indian Express, a Pakistani naval ship approached an Indian warship at high speed while the Indian vessel was conducting routine surveillance in the North Arabian Sea on September 15.
The Indian Express identified the Pakistani vessel as PNS Hunain and reported that the incident occurred in international waters, approximately 120 nautical miles from the Gulf of Oman. It said the contact was minor and that the Indian vessel continued its mission. The Ministry of External Affairs publicly stated that there was no major damage; it did not publish a detailed technical incident report or exact coordinates.
India summoned Pakistan’s Charge d’Affaires in New Delhi on September 16. It also instructed India’s Charge d’Affaires in Islamabad to deliver a similar protest to Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The bilateral agreement cited by New Delhi
The Ministry of External Affairs said the Pakistani unit’s conduct contravened Article 10 of the 1991 India-Pakistan agreement covering advance notice of military exercises, manoeuvres and troop movements. Reuters reported that the provision calls for naval ships and submarines belonging to the two countries to remain at least three nautical miles apart in international waters to prevent accidents.
New Delhi asked Pakistani authorities to ensure that military units exercise due care and comply with relevant bilateral arrangements. The official response focused on preventing a recurrence rather than announcing punitive measures.
Why the incident is sensitive
Any contact between Indian and Pakistani military vessels carries wider diplomatic significance because relations remain strained and their missions are led by Charges d’Affaires rather than ambassadors. Reuters noted that diplomatic ties were downgraded in 2019.
The Associated Press reported that the collision is the latest point of friction after a sharp military escalation in 2025. India and Pakistan have fought three wars since independence, including two over Kashmir. That history increases the importance of verified communication and established safety rules at sea.
At this stage, the confirmed points are limited: a collision took place in international waters on September 15, India lodged protests the next day, and India reported no major damage. Further operational details, including any Pakistani account, may change the public understanding if they are released.
