Rajnath Singh’s stern warning to Pakistan and the strategic importance of Sir Creek sector

Pakistan has long been eyeing the Sir Creek sector with strategic intent. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s latest remarks have once again brought national focus to the 96-kilometre tidal estuary along the India-Pakistan border. He highlighted that the recent expansion of military infrastructure by the Pakistani Army across the Sir Creek region clearly signals Islamabad’s ambitions.

The Defence Minister warned that if Pakistan dares to intrude in the Sir Creek region, it will face a resounding response that will alter both its history and geography. He reminded that in the 1965 war, the Indian Army demonstrated its capability to reach Lahore, and that today, in 2025, Pakistan should remember that one route to Karachi passes through the creek.

Clearly, Singh has issued a strong and clear warning to Pakistan. This warning was given while performing the Shastra Puja at the military cantonment in Bhuj, the headquarters of Kutch district in Gujarat, on the occasion of Vijayadashami. It should be noted that Sir Creek, a marshy part of Kutch, is the drain over which Pakistan claims its rights, without any reason and legitimacy.

The signals are clear: if Pakistan intrudes or advances further into Sir Creek, India will respond strongly. This response will not be limited to the local level; action will be taken at a more advanced level. This is why the Defence Minister’s statement mentions Karachi.

Karachi is a major city in Pakistan, and has served as its capital for many years after the Partition of 1947. Sir Creek is located just 200 to 300 kilometres from Karachi, making it relatively close in strategic terms. Hence, Singh is reminding Pakistan and its political and military leaders of the route to Karachi via Sir Creek, so that Pakistan remains under no illusions or misconceptions.

The need for this warning has arisen because over the past few years, Pakistan has been continuously increasing its military resources and infrastructure in the Sir Creek area. It is natural that these actions by Pakistan raise suspicion, and hence the need for a warning from Singh.

However, Pakistan’s conspiracy and deceptive stance on the Sir Creek sector is nothing new—it dates back to the time of independence. This is why the area remains one of the major points of dispute between India and Pakistan.

The question arises: What exactly is Sir Creek, the disputed area between India and Pakistan that has remained unresolved for over six decades? Like Kashmir, Sir Creek is another long-standing issue on which no consensus has been reached between the two countries.

Sir Creek is a tidal estuary located between the Kutch district of Gujarat in India and the Sindh province of Pakistan. Although commonly called Sir Creek today, old Kutch documents refer to it as “Siri Creek”. This name is believed to come from a fish breed called “Siri” that was once found in the stream. Over time, the name evolved to Sir Creek, partly because “Sir” and “Siri” are spelled similarly in English.

The total length of Sir Creek is about 68 kilometers, with an additional 36.4 kilometers of marshy land extending up to Border Pillar No 1175. Together, this 104.4-kilometer area forms the heart of the dispute. The mutual agreement between India and Pakistan defines the border from the Samba sector of Jammu up to Border Pillar No 1175 in the Rann of Kutch. However, beyond this point lies Sir Creek, where no formal agreement has been reached between the two nations.

Actually, the Sir Creek dispute dates back more than a hundred years, even before the existence of Pakistan. Before independence, Kutch was a major princely state of India, whose king was addressed as Maharao.

In the early 20th century, a dispute arose between the Kutch Maharao and the then administration of Sindh province over a criminal case that occurred in the Sir Creek area. This led to a dispute over where the case would be heard: in the court of the Maharao of Kutch or in the court of Sindh province. Following this dispute, an agreement was reached in 1914 between the two parties to determine the border between Kutch State and Sindh Province. Based on this, the work of laying stones to mark the border was completed in 1924-25. Since then, there has been no dispute between the two parties in this area.

However, after India’s independence, Kutch State merged with India, while Sindh Province went to Pakistan. Following this, the dispute erupted once again, culminating in Pakistan’s 1965 incursion into the Rann of Kutch and the subsequent India-Pakistan war.

At that time, the international tribunal chaired by British Prime Minister Harold Wilson to resolve the Kutch border dispute decided to cede approximately 10 per cent of the Rann of Kutch, including Chhar Bet, to Pakistan.

Despite this, the dispute over Sir Creek remained unresolved. Pakistan raised a new controversy, claiming that it had jurisdiction over the eastern bank of Sir Creek, which is on the Indian side. However, India refuted Pakistan’s claim, stating that according to international norms, if a river or stream flows between two countries, its median line forms the border, not its banks. Pakistan refused to accept this and, citing a map attached to the 1914 agreement, argued that the map showed Pakistan’s border up to the eastern part of Sir Creek, which is on the Indian side today.

However, India dismissed Pakistan’s claim as illogical and illegitimate, stating that border pillars were erected by 1925, following the 1914 agreement, and therefore, the points shown on the map are irrelevant.

Five meetings were held between the two countries between 1969 and 1992 to resolve this dispute. Subsequently, the Composite Dialogue Process, initiated in 1998 during the Vajpayee government, included the issue of resolving Sir Creek dispute as a confidence-building measure. However, the 1999 Pakistani incursion into Kargil once again derailed this process, further escalating tensions between the two countries. War broke out, and the Indian Army drove the Pakistani intruders out of the Kargil area during an operation that lasted from May to July 1999.

After Pakistan was brought to its knees and Delhi’s all objectives were achieved, India declared a ceasefire in Kargil. However, just a month later, the shadows of the Kargil tensions were visible in Kutch. Pakistan was continuously sending reconnaissance aircraft into the Kutch region. The Indian Army was also alert. As soon as the Pakistani reconnaissance aircraft, the Atlantic, entered Indian territory, Indian aircraft flying from the Naliya base in Kutch shot it down on August 10, 1999.

The Atlantic’s wreckage fell in the Sir Creek region, an area Pakistan has been plotting to seize. All 16 Pakistani soldiers on board the Atlantic were killed.

But even then, Pakistan did not learn its lesson. Following this incident, Pakistan replaced the Pakistan Rangers with the Pakistan Marines in the Sir Creek region. The Pakistan Marines are a special commando unit of the Pakistani Navy, capable of operating both underwater and marshy terrain and are specially trained for this purpose.

Until the deployment of the Pakistani Marines, the Border Security Force (BSF) was deployed on the Indian side of Sir Creek. However, Pakistan secretly deployed the Pakistan Marines as part of a conspiracy.

As soon as India took this into account, it established floating border outposts to enhance surveillance in the Sir Creek area. These floating BOPs are specialised watercraft on which BSF personnel can maintain surveillance while armed. The creek’s marshy terrain makes it difficult to stand on land, hence the new technology made BSF’s patrolling convenient.

Amidst all these, in 2004, the Congress-led UPA government came to power at the Centre. Several rounds of talks were held between the two countries regarding Sir Creek. Based on the consensus reached during these talks, a joint survey of Sir Creek was conducted by both countries in 2005-07. A report was prepared following the joint survey, but no further decisions were made. During this period, the deadline set by the United Nations for India and Pakistan to resolve the Sir Creek dispute also expired.

In 2004, the United Nations had set a five-year deadline for resolving this long-standing disputed issue, requiring both countries to resolve the Sir Creek issue by 2009, ensuring the determination of their international water boundaries and Exclusive Economic Zones. If no agreement was reached between the two countries by the expiration of this deadline, the United Nations had threatened to declare the sea area near Sir Creek as international waters. In this situation, any third country could carry out any kind of mining or other exploitation within a distance of 200 nautical miles from the maritime boundary. Under normal circumstances, the area extending 200 nautical miles from the shore is considered the exclusive economic zone of the country whose coast lies there.

After the Pakistan-sponsored Mumbai terrorist attack on November 26, 2008, negotiations regarding Sir Creek did not progress, and the dispute remained unresolved. In fact, India cannot show any leniency in this matter because the maritime boundary between India and Pakistan is determined by Sir Creek. Even ceding two inches of this area to Pakistan could impact resources across hundreds of nautical miles of sea.

The potential for substantial oil and gas reserves in the Sir Creek area has long been recognised. Therefore, it holds not only strategic but also significant economic importance. This is why India is unwilling to compromise on this issue, while Pakistan continues to plot to seize it completely.

In December 2012, a major political controversy erupted within the country regarding Sir Creek. Narendra Modi, then Chief Minister of Gujarat, received indications that, in an effort to improve relations with Pakistan, then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was considering handing over all of Sir Creek to Pakistan, and that a decision on this matter would be made on December 15. In light of this apprehension, Modi wrote a letter on December 12, 2012, urging Manmohan Singh to refrain from considering the Indian government’s intention to hand over all of Sir Creek to Pakistan.

Since the Gujarat Assembly elections were underway, Manmohan Singh immediately refuted this and dismissed Modi’s allegations as unfounded. However, Modi remained unconvinced, stating that the Prime Minister’s response was unclear. He demanded that the Prime Minister clarify whether any announcement was forthcoming regarding Sir Creek. The then Congress President Sonia Gandhi also jumped into this internal dispute over Sir Creek. During an election rally in Kalol, Gandhinagar, she stated that the Congress party had never compromised on the country’s interests, unity, and integrity, but that some individuals were trying to provoke people by making provocative statements.

After this controversy, the ongoing talks with Pakistan regarding Sir Creek completely stalled. The people of the country, and especially Gujarat, could not afford to lose anything in Sir Creek, having never forgotten the pain of losing the Chhad Bet area to Pakistan in 1965.

When Modi himself assumed the reins of power as Prime Minister in 2014, security in the Sir Creek area was rapidly strengthened. The BSF, which guards the Sir Creek area, was continuously provided with modern weapons, equipment, fast craft, and ships. Not one, but three permanent security posts were established in the area. To further enhance security and provide a strong response to any nefarious activities by Pakistan, a US-made fast patrol vessel was also deployed.

In addition to the BSF, the Army has significantly increased its preparedness in this area as a precautionary measure in the past few years. To signal the Indian government’s firm resolve regarding Sir Creek, Prime Minister Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh have been regularly visiting Sir Creek and periodically reviewing security preparations.

However, despite India’s serious warnings, Pakistan has not ceased its activities in the Sir Creek area. In recent years, it has established the Iqbal Bajwa Post near Sir Creek. This is being considered a symbol of its nefarious efforts. Furthermore, it has also increased the deployment of its troops in this area.

Indeed, as it is unable to achieve any significant gains in Kashmir, Pakistan is plotting to carry out nefarious activities in Sir Creek. There are continuous protests against the Pakistani army and government in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. To divert attention from there, Pakistan can do something daring in Sir Creek, especially during the tenure of ‘Mullah General’ Asim Munir as Army Chief, who got himself promoted as Field Marshal even after facing humiliation during Operation Sindoor. That’s why, Rajnath Singh has gone to Kutch and warned Pakistan about Sir Creek.

It would be better if the military rulers of Pakistan come to their senses, otherwise Indian security forces are ready to teach them a lesson. PM Modi has already said that Operation Sindoor is going on.

The author is Group Editor-Convergence at Network18. The views expressed in this piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of Firstpost.