India Protests After Pakistani Navy Ship Collides at Sea

Synopsis

On September 15, an Indian Navy ship collided with Pakistan's PNS Hunain in the North Arabian Sea and the two countries expressed formal protests by calling each other's ambassador. India accused the Pakistani ship of operating "unsafely" at "high speeds" while Pakistan alleged that India's claim was "provocative" and that the ship was conducting a "routine exercise" in its exclusive economic zone, which is limited to Biennial Exercise.

Collision Triggers Dual Diplomatic Protests

The Indian and Pakistani navies have ended up in a maritime incident that has turned into a diplomatic duel of accusations. Indian and Pakistani navies have blamed each other for an accidental collision at sea between two ships, and summoned their top diplomats to "strong" protests.

The clash took place on 15 September 2026 in the North Arabian Sea between an Indian Navy warship and a Pakistan Navy ship PNS Hunain. During a routine surveillance exercise in the waters, a Pakistani navy ship came at a high speed, swarmed close to an Indian Navy warship and made a minor contact, Indian officials said.

Conflicting Accounts

The two governments give conflicting accounts of what happened, and how. The foreign ministry in Pakistan stated the incident happened during a biennial exercise of its navy in the country's exclusive economic zone, whereas New Delhi stated that it was in international waters and "did not cause any major damage".

On a routine surveillance mission at speed, the Pakistani naval ship came close to a frontline Indian naval ship "manoeuvring unprofessionally and in an unsafe manner," said a senior Indian official to AFP.

A strong protest was raised by the Indian foreign ministry against the “unacceptable” and “unprofessional” conduct of Pakistani naval units in the sea, which resulted in a collision with a unit of the Indian Navy.

The characterisation was rejected outright by Pakistan. Islamabad's foreign ministry sought India's consulate general to "transmit" the message that Pakistan "strongly rejects this belligerent Indian action, and cautions the international community to ensure that India does not take any irresponsible measures that would further undermine the peace and stability in the region.

Pakistan further condemned the Indian Navy's "highly provocative and unacceptable" move, and called on New Delhi to "adhere strictly to international law and bilateral agreements, including those for the prevention of incidents at sea.

Formal Steps Taken

New Delhi's response was in keeping with the diplomatic norms on both sides. The Chargé d'Affaires of Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi was summoned to India's premises and a strong protest was lodged, and the Chargé d'Affaires of India High Commission in Islamabad was asked to raise a similar protest with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Pakistan.

The Ministry of External Affairs restated its request for an adherence to the laid down protocols in order to prevent any such incident in the future and emphasized that all military units must exercise due care and follow the agreement between the two countries of 1991.

The Exile of a rare but not unusual visitor

According to diplomatic sources, such clashes between Indian and Pakistani naval ships are rare, especially when they are conducting routine surveillance operations at international waters, and the clash was the first between the two navies since Operation Sindoor in May 2025.

Naval brushes aren't new, though: In 2011, a Pakistani ship was discovered to have closed in on an Indian vessel, causing only slight damage to equipment on board, with respect to navigational safety rules.

The relationship between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, who have fought four major wars since Independence since 1947, has been rocky since an armed conflict last year brought them to the edge of a new war.

Outlook

Neither capital has been able to formally lodge a protest and both have challenged the other's version of events, so there is no independent verification of what happened next. As no information is publicly available which clearly shows who initiated the manoeuvre that resulted in the collision, the incident adds one more blemish to an already troubled bilateral relationship.