India's Defense Minister Rajnath Singh has issued a stern warning to Pakistan, cautioning that any military aggression in the Sir Creek sector would invite an Indian response“so strong it would change both history and geography” of the area. Speaking at the Bhuj military base in Gujarat, which borders Pakistan, he highlighted Islamabad's military build-up in the disputed marshland separating the two countries.

Drawing a historical parallel, Rajnath Singh reminded Pakistan of the 1965 war, when Indian forces advanced to the outskirts of Lahore.“In 1965, Indian Army showed courage by reaching Lahore. In 2025, Pakistan must remember that the road to Karachi also passes through the Creek,” he said, signaling that any adventurism could provoke retaliation aimed at Karachi.

The warning comes five months after the brief but intense three-day war between India and Pakistan in May 2025. That conflict followed the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. India responded with strikes on terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May 6-7. The situation escalated quickly, with both sides targeting military and civilian infrastructure. Rajnath Singh said Pakistan attempted to breach Indian defenses along the Line of Control and International Border from Leh to Sir Creek. Hostilities ended on May 10, but tensions remain high.

Since then, the minister alleged, Pakistan has expanded its military presence in Sir Creek, establishing complexes, cantonments, and emergency airstrips. Indian media reports citing intelligence and naval sources have echoed these claims. India, meanwhile, maintains multilayered security in the area, with the Border Security Force, Army, Coast Guard, and Air Force all deployed.

Origins of the Sir Creek Dispute

Sir Creek, a 96-kilometer tidal estuary flowing into the Arabian Sea, separates Gujarat's Rann of Kutch from Sindh Province in Pakistan. The dispute over its boundary dates back to the early 20th century, when Sindh was part of the Bombay Presidency under British rule, while Kutch was a princely state. The conflict first erupted in 1908 over a pile of firewood. In 1914, the Bombay government issued a resolution supported by maps, but Partition in 1947 transformed the dispute into one between two sovereign nations.

India and Pakistan interpret the boundary differently. Pakistan claims the entire creek, citing the 1914 resolution that placed the boundary on the eastern bank. India, however, relies on a 1925 map and the Thalweg principle, which places the boundary in the middle of a navigable waterway. Pakistan argues Sir Creek is marshland and not navigable, while India maintains it is navigable during high tide, making the principle applicable.

The outcome of this dispute has implications for the delimitation of Exclusive Economic Zones in the Arabian Sea, an area believed to contain hydrocarbons and rich fishing grounds that sustain thousands of livelihoods.

Although dormant for decades, Sir Creek has seen flare-ups. In 1965, it was the site of fierce fighting. In August 1999, weeks after the Kargil War, an Indian Air Force MiG-21 shot down a Pakistani surveillance aircraft over the creek, prompting both sides to strengthen defenses. The 2008 Mumbai terror attacks also had a Sir Creek connection, as the attackers infiltrated India using a captured boat in the disputed waters.

Efforts to resolve the dispute through dialogue have repeatedly failed. Pakistan's insistence on linking Sir Creek to the broader Kashmir issue has been a stumbling block. Talks collapsed in 2016 after the Pathankot terror attack, and bilateral relations have since deteriorated, leaving little room for negotiation.

Military experts warn that any conflict in Sir Creek would be grueling. The marshland terrain is treacherous, infested with Russel vipers and scorpions, making operations difficult even in peacetime. The area's proximity to Karachi, just 200 kilometers away, and to key Indian ports such as Kandla, Mundra, and Mandvi, highlights its strategic importance. Any hostilities could disrupt vital economic and naval assets on both sides.

MENAFN14102025007385015968ID1110191901