Pak lodges protest with India for 'hampering PNS Babur's humanitarian operations'

Islamabad, June 18(ANI): Pakistan has lodged a protest with the Indian government over a Gulf of Aden incident involving an Indian warship.

The Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan, Sharat Sabharwal, was summoned to the Foreign Office on Friday.

"A protest was lodged with the Indian government through the Indian High Commission in Islamabad on a serious incident on 16 June 2011, in which Indian Navy Ship Godavari not only hampered humanitarian operations being carried out by Pakistan Navy Ship Babur for Merchant Vessel Suez, but also undertook dangerous manoeuvres, which resulted in the brushing of the sides of INS Godavari and PNS Babur," the Foreign Office said in a statement.

It said that PNS Babur was escorting and assisting MV Suez, which had been released after captivity by Somali pirates.

"This incident constitutes a serious violation of international regulations pertaining to safe conduct at high seas and of the India-Pakistan Agreement of 1991 on Advance Notice of Military Exercise Maneuvers and Troops Movements," the Foreign Office said.The Indian government has been asked to ensure non-recurrence of such incidents," it added.

The MV Suez ship had been freed from the pirates on June 13 after a payment of 2.1 million dollars in ransom, the Dawn reports.

The 22-member crew of the ship, captained by a Pakistani, included six Indians and four Pakistanis. (ANI)