India summoned a senior Pakistani diplomat in New Delhi on Wednesday after a Pakistan Navy ship collided with an Indian warship during routine surveillance in the North Arabian Sea. Officials said the high-speed maneuver violated a 1991 bilateral military agreement, though no major damage or casualties were reported.
An ordinary surveillance mission in the North Arabian Sea turned diplomatic flashpoint when an Indian Navy warship and a Pakistan Navy vessel collided in international waters. The incident, which unfolded on the evening of September 15, 2026, prompted swift diplomatic fallout in both capitals as New Delhi formally accused the Pakistani military of dangerous and unprofessional seamanship.
The Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi received the summons on Wednesday (September 16, 2026) as the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) lodged a strong protest over the “unacceptable” and “unprofessional” conduct of Pakistani naval units at sea, which resulted in a collision with a unit of the Indian Navy.
High-Speed Maneuvers and the Arabian Sea Collision
North Arabian Sea Collision Involving Indian Navy and Pakistan Navy
The confrontation took place on the evening of September 15, 2026, as a frontline Indian naval warship was on a routine surveillance mission in the North Arabian Sea. According to sources in the Ministry of Defence, a Pakistan Navy ship had “closed in” on the Indian warship at high speed, manoeuvring in an unprofessional and unsafe manner, which led to a collision at sea.
While the impact triggered immediate concern across defense circles, subsequent assessments brought reassuring news. Sources stated that no damage had been reported. India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) separately confirmed that the incident occurred in international waters and said no major damage had resulted.
Diplomatic Summons and Breach of the 1991 Military Accord
Ministry of External Affairs Summons Pakistan High Commission Diplomat Saad Ahmad Warraich
The diplomatic response was immediate. India summoned Saad Ahmad Warraich, charge d’affaires at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, to lodge a strong protest over the incident. The MEA said the unacceptable and unprofessional conduct of Pakistani naval units at sea had led to a collision with a unit of the Indian Navy.
The ministry stated that the Charge d’Affaires of the High Commission for the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in New Delhi had been summoned to the ministry of external affairs today and that a strong protest had been lodged with him over the unacceptable and unprofessional conduct of Pakistani naval units at sea that led to a collision with a unit of the Indian Navy.
The MEA added that 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.
The ministry further stated that it had advised the Pakistani diplomat to convey to the concerned Pakistani authorities 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.
Furthermore, the MEA noted that the Charge d’Affaires of India in Islamabad had also been instructed to lodge a similar protest with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
Precedent and Prior Maritime Disputes
Article 10 of the 1991 Agreement Cited in Prior 2011 India-Pakistan Dispute
Article 10 of the 1991 agreement has also figured in an earlier India-Pakistan naval dispute. In 2011, India lodged a protest after alleging that Pakistan Navy ship had engaged in maneuvers that prompted formal diplomatic pushback.
Next Steps and Official Demands
New Delhi Instructs Indian Charge d’Affaires in Islamabad to Lodge Protest
During Wednesday’s diplomatic summoning, the Pakistani diplomat was asked to convey to relevant authorities in Pakistan the critical need for military units to exercise due care and respect the provisions of relevant agreements between the two countries to prevent a recurrence of such incidents. New Delhi emphasized that respectful adherence to established bilateral agreements remains essential to preventing similar maritime hazards from recurring in the future.