Humanitarian operation jeopardised: India-Pakistan row erupts before Kashmir talks
Islamabad accuses Indian Navy of hampering hostage rescue operation.
ISLAMABAD:
Ahead of crucial talks on the longstanding Kashmir dispute, a diplomatic row has erupted between India and Pakistan after Islamabad on Friday accused an Indian Navy warship of hampering the humanitarian operation being carried out by the Pakistan Navy to rescue an Egyptian vessel released by Somali Pirates this week.
Pakistan naval ship Babar was providing cover for the merchant vessel (MV) that has 22 hostages on board, including six Indians, 11 Egyptians, four Pakistanis and one Sri Lankan freed after 10 months.
The release materialised after hectic efforts by the Ansar Burney Trust, which arranged a $2.1 million ransom to rescue the hostages last Monday.
The development came hours after Pakistan and India announced that their top diplomats would meet in Islamabad next week to discuss the Kashmir dispute, along with issues pertaining to peace and security between the two nations for the first time in three years.
A statement issued by the Foreign Office said Pakistan lodged a protest with the India government on an incident that occurred on June 16 when an Indian Navy Ship Godavari not only hampered the humanitarian operations being carried out by Pakistan Navy Ship Babur, but also undertook dangerous manoeuvres during the course of the incident.
However, it did not say where exactly the incident took place.
“It (incident) resulted in the brushing of the sides of INS Godavari and PNS Babur,” the statement said.
The statement added that the PNS Babur was escorting and assisting MV Suez which had been released by the Somali pirates.
Pakistan termed the incident a serious violation of international regulations.
“The Indian government has been asked to ensure non-recurrence of such incidents,” it added.
Reports indicate the Indian government sent its naval warship to escort the Egyptian vessel that also carries Indian hostages released by Somali Pirates.
The move is seen as a belated effort by the Indian government to take credit for the release of hostages as earlier it refused to help the captives.
However, it is not yet clear if the latest incident could impact the crucial foreign secretary-level talks on June 23-24.
The two-day parleys will also discuss confidence building measures (CBMs) and promotion of friendly exchanges, the statement said.
The talks on the Kashmir dispute, which has been the main source of friction between the two countries for the past 60 years, will be the first since the November 2008 Mumbai attacks.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 18th, 2011.
Ahead of crucial talks on the longstanding Kashmir dispute, a diplomatic row has erupted between India and Pakistan after Islamabad on Friday accused an Indian Navy warship of hampering the humanitarian operation being carried out by the Pakistan Navy to rescue an Egyptian vessel released by Somali Pirates this week.
Pakistan naval ship Babar was providing cover for the merchant vessel (MV) that has 22 hostages on board, including six Indians, 11 Egyptians, four Pakistanis and one Sri Lankan freed after 10 months.
The release materialised after hectic efforts by the Ansar Burney Trust, which arranged a $2.1 million ransom to rescue the hostages last Monday.
The development came hours after Pakistan and India announced that their top diplomats would meet in Islamabad next week to discuss the Kashmir dispute, along with issues pertaining to peace and security between the two nations for the first time in three years.
A statement issued by the Foreign Office said Pakistan lodged a protest with the India government on an incident that occurred on June 16 when an Indian Navy Ship Godavari not only hampered the humanitarian operations being carried out by Pakistan Navy Ship Babur, but also undertook dangerous manoeuvres during the course of the incident.
However, it did not say where exactly the incident took place.
“It (incident) resulted in the brushing of the sides of INS Godavari and PNS Babur,” the statement said.
The statement added that the PNS Babur was escorting and assisting MV Suez which had been released by the Somali pirates.
Pakistan termed the incident a serious violation of international regulations.
“The Indian government has been asked to ensure non-recurrence of such incidents,” it added.
Reports indicate the Indian government sent its naval warship to escort the Egyptian vessel that also carries Indian hostages released by Somali Pirates.
The move is seen as a belated effort by the Indian government to take credit for the release of hostages as earlier it refused to help the captives.
However, it is not yet clear if the latest incident could impact the crucial foreign secretary-level talks on June 23-24.
The two-day parleys will also discuss confidence building measures (CBMs) and promotion of friendly exchanges, the statement said.
The talks on the Kashmir dispute, which has been the main source of friction between the two countries for the past 60 years, will be the first since the November 2008 Mumbai attacks.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 18th, 2011.