What Is Sir Creek Issue Between India and Pakistan? All You Need to Know About the Contested Creek Region As India Launches Exercise Trishul 2025

Mumbai, October 29: India is set to conduct a 10-day tri-service combat drill, Exercise Trishul 2025, starting October 30 and continuing till November 10 along the western front bordering Pakistan. The large-scale drill will involve the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force executing coordinated operations across land, air, and sea. With over 20,000 troops, tanks, fighter jets, and warships participating, the exercise aims to enhance joint combat readiness and test rapid response capabilities. The drill comes just days after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s stern warning to Pakistan over military activity near the disputed Sir Creek region.

Tensions between the two neighbours have heightened as both nations have issued airspace restrictions amid reports of troop and drone movements along the Gujarat border. Pakistan’s recent expansion of military infrastructure in the Sir Creek area has drawn sharp reactions from New Delhi, with Singh asserting that any provocation would be met with a decisive response. The strategically vital estuary, rich in marine and energy resources, has long been a source of contention between India and Pakistan. With the Sir Creek dispute resurfacing at a critical time, let’s know all about what is the Sir Creek issue between India and Pakistan. What Is the Sir Creek Dispute? Know Why Rajnath Singh Warned Pakistan.

What Is Sir Creek Issue Between India and Pakistan?

The Sir Creek issue is a long-standing territorial and maritime dispute between India and Pakistan over a 96-km-long tidal estuary located between Gujarat’s Rann of Kutch and Pakistan’s Sindh province. The conflict dates back to 1914, when a resolution by the British government demarcated the boundary between the then princely state of Kutch and the Sindh province under the Bombay Presidency. Pakistan claims the boundary lies along the eastern bank of Sir Creek, citing the 1914 resolution’s "green line," which would grant it control over the entire waterway. India, however, maintains that the border lies along the mid-channel of the creek, as per the Thalweg Principle, which states that the boundary in navigable waters should follow the deepest part of the channel. Rajnath Singh Issues Stern Warning to Pakistan, Says ‘Any Misadventure in Sir Creek Will Invite Resounding Response’ (Watch Video).

The dispute holds not just historical but also strategic and economic significance. Control over Sir Creek influences the maritime boundary and determines access to the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) extending into the Arabian Sea, an area rich in oil, gas, and fisheries. While a UN tribunal in 1968 resolved most of the Rann of Kutch boundary issue in India’s favour, Sir Creek remained unsettled. Multiple rounds of talks and joint surveys, including one in 2007, failed to achieve a consensus. Today, the region remains a flashpoint in India-Pakistan relations, often witnessing tensions, detentions of fishermen, and military build-up on both sides, as each nation seeks to assert its claim over the strategic estuary.

India’s Trishul 2025 tri-service combat exercise has reignited focus on the Sir Creek issue due to its timing and location along the western front with Pakistan, just days after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s warning against any Pakistani aggression in the region. The massive military drill, involving the Army, Navy, and Air Force, is seen as a strategic message to Islamabad amid its growing military buildup near Sir Creek. India has issued airspace restrictions over Gujarat and Rajasthan, while Pakistan has mirrored similar actions, raising regional tensions.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 29, 2025 02:56 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).