Islamabad: Pakistan has strongly protested what it described as provocative and irresponsible actions by Indian naval ship INS Kolkata in Pakistan's maritime zone, saying the incident constituted a violation of bilateral agreements and could have triggered a serious crisis.

According to the Foreign Office, Pakistan Navy has been conducting Sea Spark 26 exercises in Pakistan's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) since September 1.

The Foreign Office said that since September 7, an Indian naval ship and its onboard helicopter had repeatedly attempted to enter the area where the Pakistan Navy exercises were being conducted.

It said INS Kolkata subsequently carried out what Pakistan described as dangerous and provocative manoeuvres close to Pakistan Navy vessels.

According to the Foreign Office, the Indian vessel's activities did not constitute a routine deployment but amounted to a violation of the 1991 bilateral agreement.

Despite multiple warnings, the Indian naval vessel allegedly continued its actions.

The Foreign Office said that on September 15, INS Kolkata made a dangerous change of course and collided with Pakistan Navy vessel PNS Hunain.

It said PNS Hunain attempted to take evasive action, but a contact incident nevertheless occurred between the two vessels.

According to the Foreign Office, INS Kolkata increased its speed after the incident and left the area.

Pakistan described the alleged action as highly provocative and said it could have resulted in a serious crisis.

The Foreign Office said the professional and responsible conduct of the Pakistan Navy helped prevent further escalation of the situation.

Pakistan said it viewed the alleged violations by the Indian Navy with serious concern and accused India of attempting to distort facts and escalate the matter at the diplomatic level.

The Foreign Office said the reported actions reflected what Pakistan viewed as a deliberate attempt to affect regional peace.

Pakistan called on India to respect bilateral agreements and adhere to responsible conduct.

It also urged Indian authorities to take immediate measures to prevent a recurrence of such incidents.

Pakistan further conveyed that its current level of restraint should not be assumed in the face of any future provocation.