India rejects Pakistan claims over Arabian Sea collision (Img: MEA)
The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday rejected Pakistan’s allegations over the recent collision between Indian Navy warship INS Kolkata and Pakistani Naval Ship Hunain in the Arabian Sea, calling Islamabad’s response an “expected prevarication”.
The remarks came days after India and Pakistan summoned each other’s senior diplomats over the incident. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi stood by its account of the collision.
“We have seen Pakistan’s response to the protest we had lodged. It is the usual prevarication that we expected. We reject the allegations and insinuations contained therein", said Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs.
Jaiswal said INS Kolkata, the lead ship of the Kolkata-class stealth guided-missile destroyers, was on routine deployment when the collision took place.
“Let me reiterate the facts of the matter. INS Kolkata was on a routine deployment in the western Arabian sea when Pakistani Naval Ship Hunain conducted itself in an unacceptable and unprofessional manner at sea that resulted in a collision", he said.
He alleged that PNS Hunain violated Article 10 of the 1991 India-Pakistan agreement governing advance notice of military exercises, manoeuvres and troop movements.
“The dangerous overtaking manoeuvre by PNS Hunain was in gross violation of Article 10 of the Agreement between India and Pakistan on Advance Notice on Military Exercises, Manoeuvres and Troops Movements of April 1991, which specifies that naval units at sea are not to be within 3 nautical miles of each other. In addition, the Pakistani ship also infringed the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea."
Bi-Weekly Media Briefing by the Official Spokesperson (September 18, 2026)
https://t.co/xIschKdYC4— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) September 18, 2026
Jaiswal said India had advised Pakistan to ensure greater caution by military units to prevent similar incidents.
“The Pakistan side has once again been advised about 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.
The incident did not cause any major damage to INS Kolkata and she remains at sea."
The collision comes amid continuing tensions following the 2025 India-Pakistan military confrontation after the Pahalgam terror attack.
India said it had lodged a strong protest with Pakistan’s Charge d’Affaires over the “unacceptable and unprofessional conduct" of its naval unit. Pakistan, meanwhile, summoned India’s Charge d’Affaires and described the Indian naval vessel’s action as “highly provocative and unacceptable".
