New Delhi summoned Pakistan’s Chargé d'Affaires this week to deliver a sharp diplomatic rebuke. The meeting followed a collision between an Indian Navy ship and a Pakistani vessel in the North Arabian Sea on September 15. India’s Ministry of External Affairs described the Pakistani ship’s approach as "unacceptable and unprofessional," citing high-speed maneuvers that endangered Indian personnel.
The incident has landed with particular weight given the recent history between the two navies. Eighteen months ago, in the same stretch of water, an Indian warship rescued 23 Pakistani sailors from armed pirates. That rescue was part of a broader, long-standing Indian commitment to maritime security in the region. Since 2008, Indian forces have maintained anti-piracy deployments in the Gulf of Aden and off East Africa.
The operational record highlights the scale of India's involvement. By early 2024, the government reported that Indian warships had escorted 3,440 ships and more than 25,000 seafarers. In January 2024 alone, INS Chennai and Marine Commandos sanitized the decks of the Liberian-flagged MV Lila Norfolk after pirates fled overnight. Two months later, INS Sumedha and INS Trishul freed 23 Pakistani crew members from the hijacked Iranian-flagged vessel Al-Kambar 786 after a 12-hour standoff. These missions were not charitable gestures; they protected India’s own trade routes, which see over 230 merchant vessels escorted annually, carrying millions of tonnes of cargo.
Pakistan has expanded its own presence in the Arabian Sea, stressing it operates under independent national tasking. Both nations maintain capable navies, but the operational norms have diverged. India treats its presence as a standing promise of assistance to any vessel in distress, regardless of flag. The September 15 collision shattered that norm, turning a shared ocean into a flashpoint for diplomatic friction.
The immediate next step involves bilateral naval channels. India expects Pakistan to issue a formal response to the protest lodged by the Chargé d'Affaires. Until then, Indian destroyers and frigates will continue their maritime-security missions in the region, maintaining a hard line on safety and professionalism.