The dispute over Sir Creek has once again become a flashpoint in escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. India recently issued a red alert to Pakistan on the Gujarat coast, in light of heightened military activities near Sir Creek, a tidal estuary of roughly 96 kilometers in length, which acts as the boundary between India’s Gujarat and Pakistan’s Sindh province. The issue of Sir Creek has been a long-standing and unresolved issue between India and Pakistan and recently has again come to the forefront, as a result of a repositioning of Pakistani forces within the disputed area and India’s continued willingness to respond militarily.
Geolocation and Strategic Context
Political and military tensions between India and Pakistan are oftentimes assigned to the Jammu and Kashmir border, but in fact, the two countries have a much longer border that traverses from the Himalaya to the Arabian Sea. The current area of friction on the boundary is the Sir Creek region, located at the southernmost end of the border and nestled between Kutch (Gujarat), India, and Sindh, Pakistan, which opens into the Arabian Sea. This region is significant for security and economic reasons.
Pakistan’s recent military activities near the Sir Creek boundary are now troubling India’s Defence Minister enough to warn from Gujarat’s Bhuj Air Base during the festival of Dussehra, and indicate that any misadventure by Pakistan in the area of contention will “change the history and geography of Pakistan.” This warning of misadventure captures deterrent significance.
Historical Background of the Dispute
When it comes down to history, the Sir Creek dispute stems from colonial time. The disagreement arises from the conflicting interpretations of the 1914 Bombay Resolution by the Sindh province and the Kutch region (at the time covering part of British India). The British resolution was ambiguous when it came down to determining the boundary line.
India’s position: India takes the stance of the Thalweg Principle – that is, the boundary line should be on the mid-channel (i.e. deepest navigable channel) of the creek.
Pakistan’s Position: Pakistan depends on some old maps from the British, that claims that the eastern bank of Sir Creek forms the border, which would push the boundary eastwards and allow Pakistan to have a larger maritime area.
There seems to have been efforts to resolve the dispute but they were unsuccessful – post the 1965 Indo-Pak war, as well as a UN tribunal in 1968 that found 90% of India’s claim valid. Even a joint survey in 2007 to help resolve the dispute, was unsuccessful due to Pakistan’s refusal to formalize its outcome.
Importance of Sir Creek
Strategic Importance
Sir Creek is of great strategic significance. It is close to the Karachi Port, which is Pakistan’s main naval and trade center, so this area is crucial to Pakistan’s maritime security and economy. For India, maintaining control of the creek is essential to keep Pakistan from opening another possible military front along the western coastline. If a conflict breaks out, Sir Creek could become a third front in addition to Kashmir and Rajasthan. Past incidents, such as the 2019 discovery of abandoned boats, believed to be linked to the terrorist organization Jaish-e-Mohammed likely terrorist infiltration, have also indicated the area’s susceptibility to terrorism and infiltration.
Economic Significance
Sir Creek is situated in one of Asia’s richest fishing grounds, supporting thousands of fishermen off the coast of Gujarat; therefore dispute over Sir Creek implicates the legal delineation of exclusive economic zones (EEZ) under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). If India’s claim (the midline boundary) is accepted, India would secure a larger maritime zone that may be rich in fish and possibly oil and gas reserves. If Pakistan’s claim is accepted, India would lose substantial maritime territory and resources.
Significance for Ecosystem
Sir Creek forms part of a vulnerable mangrove ecosystem that sustains marine biodiversity and provides a natural buffer against cyclones and coastal erosion. This area has been subjected to ecological stress, due to Pakistan’s Left Bank Outfall Drain (LBOD), which throws saline effluents into the Arabian Sea in the vicinity of Sir Creek. There are worries on India’s side of ecological damage and saline seepage, and a loss of biodiversity.
Reasons for the Continuing Stalemate
There are a number of factors which complicate resolution:
Conflicting Historical Claims: India’s claims based on the Thalweg vs. Pakistan’s claims based on the boundary resolution carried out in late 1914.
Political and Military Distrust: Previous military conflicts, and the absence of mutual trust, create constant barriers to collaborative negotiation.
Third-Party Mediation Barred: By agreement in the 1972 Shimla Agreement, the two countries agreed to resolve issues through bilateral negotiations and negating the use of any international arbitral tribunal.
Reluctance for Compromise: Each has shown a refusal to give up claims and this is a floor requirement for involvement by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
So the issue is stagnant, despite various diplomatic initiatives.
Recent Developments and India’s Firm Statement
With regards to the military developments by Pakistan near Sir Creek, the recently awakened dispute will have reverberations. India’s red warning and the Defence Minister’s statement on a number of levels:
Security Message: Affirmed that Sir Creek is on no account a “soft spot”, it is a “red line.”
Domestic Signal: It affirmed India’s capacity to defend its territorial integrity and provides support to the national audience.
International Message: It shows India is defensive (rather than aggressive), provides counter to Pakistan’s narrative, and builds diplomatic legitimacy.
The statement also was suggestive that further aggression by Pakistan around Sir Creek would risk exposing Karachi’s similar vulnerabilities, because Karachi’s main maritime route is situated nearby the disputed waters – in a subtle way, this was a strategic warning to Pakistan.
The Way Forward
In the current geopolitical context, it appears unlikely the Sir Creek issue will be resolved in the coming future. Diplomatic channels remain open, but in truth, the domestic instability in Pakistan to leverage the border, makes moving forward difficult. Yet, India continues to assert its sovereignty, security, and ecological responsibility over the contested region.
Sir Creek today is a microcosm of India-Pakistan relations; rife with historical baggage, strategic significance, and symbolic value. It also communicates how the post-colonial unresolved disputes have implications for the geopolitical landscape of South Asia.
