Dissatisfied by Indian explanation, Pakistan seeks joint probe into missile fiasco

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday demanded a joint probe to accurately establish the facts surrounding the incident relating to the “accidental firing” of an Indian origin missile into its territory on March 9, 2022.

The Foreign Office spokesperson said that they have taken note of the Indian statement regretting the “accidental firing” of the Indian origin missile into Pakistani territory due to “technical malfunction” and the decision to hold an internal Court of Inquiry.

Expressing dissatisfaction over the measures taken by India, the FO said, “such a serious matter cannot be addressed with the simplistic explanation proffered by the Indian authorities.”

Nuclearised environment

He maintained that the grave nature of the incident raises several fundamental questions regarding security protocols and technical safeguards against the accidental or unauthorised launch of missiles in a nuclearised environment.

The spokesperson demanded an explanation from the Indian side over certain questions arising out of the grave incident. 

He said that some of the questions that need to be answered include:

• India must explain the measures and procedures in place to prevent accidental missile launches and the particular circumstances of this incident.
• India needs to clearly explain the type and specifications of the missile that fell in Pakistani territory.
• India also needs to explain the flight path/ trajectory of the accidentally launched missile and how it ultimately turned and entered Pakistan?
• Was the missile equipped with self-destruct mechanism? Why did it fail to actualize?
• Are Indian missiles kept primed for launch even under routine maintenance?
• Why did India fail to immediately inform Pakistan about the accidental launch of the missile and waited to acknowledge it till after Pakistan announced the incident and sought clarification?
• Given the profound level of incompetence, India needs to explain if the missile was indeed handled by its armed forces or some rogue elements?

Internal court of inquiry is not sufficient

The spokesperson said that the whole incident indicates many loopholes and technical lapses of serious nature in Indian handling of strategic weapons, adding that the Indian decision to hold an internal court of inquiry is not sufficient since the missile ended up in Pakistani territory.

“Given the short distances and response times, any misinterpretation by the other side could lead to countermeasures in self-defence with grave consequences, he added.

He also called upon the international community to take serious notice of this incident of grave nature in a nuclearised environment and play its due role in promoting strategic stability in the region.