Article 10 Explained: The 1991 Pact Behind the India-Pakistan Naval Collision

NEW DELHI — When two grey-hull warships cross paths on the open ocean, invisible lines drawn on paper decades ago suddenly carry life-or-death weight.

Following a high-seas collision between an Indian Navy warship and the Pakistan Navy corvette PNS Hunain in the North Arabian Sea, bilateral attention has locked onto a single, decades-old clause. The incident, which occurred on the evening of September 15, 2026, roughly 220 kilometers east of Oman, has prompted New Delhi to invoke Article 10 of a 1991 bilateral agreement.

As diplomatic channels flare up and Pakistan's charge d'affaires is summoned to South Block, the spotlight turns directly to the historic pact designed to prevent precisely this kind of dangerous maritime friction.

What Is Article 10 of the 1991 Pact?

Signed in April 1991, the Agreement between India and Pakistan on Advance Notice on Military Exercises, Manoeuvres and Troop Movements was conceived as a vital confidence-building measure (CBM). While the bulk of the treaty governs advance notifications for land troop movements and cross-border military exercises, its maritime provisions contain explicit guardrails for naval platforms operating in international waters.

At the center of the current diplomatic protest is Article 10, which establishes a strict spatial buffer. The text dictates:

“The Naval ships and submarines belonging to the other country are not to close less than three Nautical Miles (NMs) from each other so as to avoid any accident while operating in international waters.”

Translating to a mandatory clearance radius of roughly 5.6 kilometers, this three-nautical-mile rule acts as a tactical tripwire. It ensures that routine surveillance missions or patrols do not inadvertently escalate into high-speed close-quarters showdowns.

The Anatomy of the North Arabian Sea Collision

According to operational briefings released by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and defense disclosures, the Indian warship was conducting routine maritime surveillance in international waters when PNS Hunain closed in at high speed. Indian authorities characterized the Pakistani corvette's maneuvering as "unprofessional and unsafe," culminating in physical contact that forced the damaged Pakistani vessel to limp back to harbor.

While Indian officials confirmed that the nation's warship sustained no major structural damage, New Delhi framed the breach as a direct, aggressive contravention of Article 10. The diplomatic fallout was swift: India summoned Pakistan’s Charge d'Affaires Saad Warraich to register a formal protest against the "unacceptable" breach of established naval safety protocols.

Official Sources Section

Factual assessments and diplomatic positions based on official statements from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Ministry of Defence briefings, and the historical text of the April 1991 India-Pakistan bilateral agreement archives.

Quote Section

According to official Ministry of External Affairs statements detailing the diplomatic démarche, the Pakistani naval vessel's high-speed approach in international waters was in "direct contravention" of Article 10 of the 1991 bilateral military accord.

Why It Matters

Maritime rules of the road in contested or sensitive sectors like the Arabian Sea prevent operational miscalculations from spiraling into broader military flashpoints. Enforcing compliance with Article 10 reaffirms safety baselines, testing whether decades-old bilateral CBMs can survive modern tactical friction.

Key Facts at a Glance

• The Core Rule: Article 10 mandates a minimum 3-nautical-mile (~5.6 km) separation between Indian and Pakistani naval vessels in international waters.

• The Incident: A collision occurred on September 15, 2026, in the North Arabian Sea involving PNS Hunain and an Indian Navy surveillance asset.

• Diplomatic Action: India summoned Pakistan’s Charge d'Affaires to lodge a formal protest over unprofessional conduct.

• Origin of Pact: The underlying bilateral agreement was signed in April 1991 as a military confidence-building measure.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Article 10 of the 1991 India-Pakistan agreement?

Article 10 is a collision-avoidance provision requiring Indian and Pakistani naval ships and submarines to maintain at least a 3-nautical-mile distance from each other in international waters.

Why did India summon the Pakistani diplomat over the recent collision?

New Delhi formally protested the "unprofessional and unsafe" high-speed maneuvering of PNS Hunain, stating it directly violated the safety thresholds outlined in Article 10.

Did the 1991 pact foresee naval incidents?

Yes. Although primarily focused on military exercises and troop movements, the accord explicitly includes maritime safety articles to prevent accidental high-seas friction.

Source: Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official briefings (September 2026); Ministry of Defence operational updates; text of the 1991 India-Pakistan bilateral agreement on military manoeuvres.