[ad_1]
Pakistan on Saturday said it was not satisfied with India’s “simplistic explanation” on the “accidental firing” of a missile that landed in Pakistan’s Punjab province and demanded a joint probe to accurately establish the facts surrounding the incident.
Foreign Office spokesperson said Pakistan has taken note of the Press Statement by the India’s Press Information Bureau’s Defence Wing regretting the “accidental firing” of the Indian-origin missile into Pakistani territory on March 9 due to “technical malfunction” and the decision to hold a high-level Court of Inquiry.
The Foreign Office said that the incident raises several fundamental questions regarding security protocols and technical safeguards against accidental or unauthorised missile launch in a nuclearised environment.
“Such a serious matter cannot be addressed with the simplistic explanation proffered by the Indian authorities,” it said, adding that some of the questions should be answered.
“Indian decision to hold an internal court of inquiry is not sufficient since the missile ended up in Pakistani territory. Pakistan demands a joint probe to accurately establish the facts surrounding the incident,” it said.
“India must explain the measures and procedures in place to prevent accidental missile launches and the particular circumstances of this incident,” the FO said, adding that India must clearly explain the type and specifications of the missile that fell in Pakistani territory.
The Indian missile landed near Mian Chunnu city in Pakistan’s Punjab province on Wednesday evening without causing damage to civilian property.
“It is learnt that the missile landed in an area of Pakistan. While the incident is deeply regrettable, it is also a matter of relief that there has been no loss of life due to the accident, India’s Ministry of Defence said in a statement on Friday.
Pakistan also sought the flight path/trajectory of the accidentally launched missile and how it ultimately turned and entered into Pakistan.
It asked if the missile was equipped with a self-destruct mechanism and why it failed to actualise.
It further asked India if its missiles were 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 till after Pakistan announced the incident and sought clarification?” the FO asked.
It also said that India needs to explain if the missile was indeed handled by its armed forces or some rogue elements.
Pakistan said the whole incident indicates many loopholes and technical lapses of serious nature in India’s handling of strategic weapons.
Given the short distances and response times, any misinterpretation by the other side could lead to counter measures in self-defence with grave consequences, the Foreign Office noted.
Pakistan 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, the FO concluded.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Dear Reader,
Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.
We, however, have a request.
As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.
Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard.
Digital Editor
[ad_2]
Source link