Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday warned Pakistan against any aggression towards the Sir Creek region, saying that any such action will be dealt with a “resounding response” that could change both “history and geography”.
He said, “India has made several attempts to resolve the issue through dialogue, but there is a flaw in Pakistan's intentions; its intentions are unclear. The way in which the Pakistan army has recently expanded its military infrastructure in areas adjacent to Sir Creek reveals its intentions.”
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Notably, Sir Creek is a strategic and sensitive zone along the Gujarat coastline.
Here are 5 key facts to know about the region and the dispute:
1. Sir Creek is a 96-km-long tidal estuary between Gujarat's Rann of Kutch and Pakistan.
2. It is named after a British representative and extends into the Arabian Sea. It divides Pakistan’s Sindh province from Gujarat’s Kutch region.
{{/usCountry}}2. It is named after a British representative and extends into the Arabian Sea. It divides Pakistan’s Sindh province from Gujarat’s Kutch region.
{{/usCountry}}3. It is also one of the largest fishing zones in the subcontinent and is believed to have untapped oil and gas resources. Officials say that the area is difficult to navigate as it sees very hot days in summer and extremely cold nights in winter.
4. The region is considered disputed since both sides interpret the maritime boundary lines differently. This dispute goes back to the 1914 Bombay government resolution, which sought to demarcate the boundary between its Sindh and Kutch divisions.
5. Paragraph 9 of the agreement mentions that the boundary lies “to the east of the Creek,” indicating that the creek was part of Sindh, which is now in Pakistan. After the Partition in 1947, Sindh and Kutch became part of Pakistan and India, which means that the dispute needs to be resolved under international maritime law, known as the Thalweg principle.
Notably, Pakistan claims that Sir Creek is not navigable, so the Thalweg principle cannot apply. However, India argues that the region remains navigable during high tide and the boundary should be settled according to international norms.