ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday urged the international community to stop India from taking actions that could destabilise the region, after a provocative manoeuvre by an Indian naval vessel resulted in a collision with a Pakistan Navy ship in the Arabian Sea.

The Foreign Office said it had summoned the Indian charge d’affaires in Islamabad and lodged a strong protest over the incident, which it said took place on Tuesday (Sept 15) inside Pakistan’s Exclusive Economic Zone while the Pakistan Navy was conducting its biennial SEASPARK 26 exercise.

The FO identified the Indian vessel as INS Kolkata and accused it of carrying out dangerous maneuvers in close proximity to Pakistani naval ships despite repeated warnings.

“While the Pakistan Navy was undertaking its biennial exercise SEASPARK-26, the Indian vessel carried out aggressive maneuvers in dangerously close proximity of Pakistani naval ship, resulting in contact between the two vessels,” FO said.

FO issues demarche to New Delhi’s charge d’affaires; accuses Indian vessel of ‘aggressive’ manoeuvres close to Pakistani ship

It said the incident amounted to a violation of international law as well as the 1991 India-Pakistan agreement on advance notice of military exercises, manoeuvres and troop movements, warning that such actions risked escalating tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours. A security source separately claimed that the Indian naval vessel and a helicopter deployed on it had repeatedly attempted to enter the area of the naval exercise since Sept 7.

According to the Pakistani account, INS Kolkata made a dangerous change of course on Sept 15 and collided with PNS Hunain after the Pakistani vessel carried out evasive maneuvers. The Indian ship, according to this account, then sped out of the area.

Pakistani officials warned that the incident could have triggered a serious crisis but was contained by what they described as the “professional and responsible conduct” of its naval personnel.

The FO urged India to comply with international law and bilateral agreements, particularly arrangements intended to prevent incidents between the two countries at sea.

“Pakistan urges the international community to call upon India to abandon its belligerent posture and refrain from irresponsible actions that could further destabilise South Asia.”

However, the Indian government gave a sharply different account of the incident, saying the collision occurred in international waters and was caused by the conduct of the Pakistani naval vessel.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs said it had summoned Pakistan’s Charge d’Affaires in New Delhi and lodged a strong protest over the incident.

“While the incident, which took place in international waters, did not cause any major damage, the conduct of the Pakistani naval ship was in direct contravention of Article 10 of the Agreement between India and Pakistan on Advance Notice on Military Exercises, Manoeuvres and Troops Movements of April 1991,” it said.

Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2026