Pakistan reiterates demand for joint probe into Indian missile fire

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has rejected India’s “purported closure” of the inquiry into accidental firing of a supersonic missile into the country on March 9 this year and reiterated the demand for a joint probe into the incident.

The Foreign Office released a statement saying it “seen India’s announcement of the findings of an internal Court of Inquiry regarding the incident of firing of a rogue supersonic missile into Pakistani territory on 9 March, 2022 and the decision to terminate the services of three Indian Air Force (IAF) officers reportedly found responsible for the reckless incident”.

Pakistan categorically rejects India’s purported closure of the highly irresponsible incident and reiterates its demand for a joint probe, said the statement.

“As expected, the measures taken by India in the aftermath of the incident and the subsequent findings and punishments handed by the so-called internal Court of Inquiry are totally unsatisfactory, deficient and inadequate,” it added.

The statement said India has not only failed to respond to Pakistan’s demand for a joint inquiry but has also evaded the questions raised by Pakistan regarding the command and control system in place in India, safety and security protocols, and reason for India’s delayed admission of the missile launch.

It added that “systemic loopholes and technical lapses of serious nature in handling of strategic weapons cannot be covered up beneath the veneer of individual human error. If indeed India has nothing to hide then it must accept Pakistan’s demand for a joint probe in the spirit of transparency.”

The Foreign Office spokesperson said the imprudent Indian action had jeopardized the peace and security environment of the entire region. “Pakistan’s demonstration of exemplary restraint is a testament of our systemic maturity and abiding commitment to peace as a responsible nuclear state,” the statement maintained.

Pakistan has reiterated its demand that the Indian Government must immediately provide specific responses to the queries raised by Pakistan after the incident and accedes to its call for a joint probe.

A day earlier, the Indian Air Force said the government had sacked three officers involved in the accidental firing of a hypersonic missile into Pakistani territory.

The incident occurred on March 9 this year when a missile was fired earlier and landed near the town of Mian Channu. The incident prompted Pakistan to seek answers from New Delhi on the safety mechanisms in place to prevent accidental launches.