New Delhi’s claim: Pakistani boat ‘blows up’ off India coast

Islamabad says it’s unclear if the incident happened at all

NEW DELHI: A Pakistani fishing boat laden with explosives bound for India blew up, killing all four people on board, after the Indian coast guard tried to stop and search it, the Indian government claimed on Friday. It was not possible to independently verify the Indian account.

In a first reaction, Pakistan's foreign ministry said it was unclear whether the incident had happened at all.

Indian intelligence said the crew was planning ‘an illicit transaction’ when the vessel was intercepted on New Year's Eve in the Arabian Sea, 365km off India's western coast, according to a government statement.



Ajay Kumar Pandey, a spokesman for the Indian Coast Guard, declined to comment when asked whether the explosives believed to be on board the boat were intended for use in a possible attack.

The Indian defence ministry released blurred nighttime photographs of a burning fishing boat, with timestamps around 4am New Year's Day. No name or other distinguishing characteristics were visible on the burning boat. No other physical evidence was presented by the Indian government.

The Indian Coast Guard chased the Pakistani boat for almost an hour and fired warning shots before it stopped, the Indian statement said. The crew hid below deck and set the boat on fire.

“Due to darkness, bad weather and strong winds, the boat and persons on board could not be saved or recovered,” said the statement.

The Indian coast guard ruled out the explosion being an accident, saying the men on the boat sped away because they were hiding ‘something really serious’. “If they weren't doing anything wrong, then they had no reason to run, to set the boat on fire," said K R Nautiyal, Deputy Inspector General of the Indian Coast Guard. "We will look to connect the dots after gathering more details. We will look at what was their design and what was their intention," he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 3^rd, 2014.