Pakistan demands joint probe into accidental firing of missile from India into its territory
Reiterating its demand for a joint probe into the accidental firing of a supersonic BrahMos missile by India which landed in its territory, Pakistan on Friday sought a “satisfactory response” from New Delhi on the incident that took place a year ago.
“Despite the lapse of one year, the Government of India has not acceded to Pakistan’s demand of a joint probe in order to accurately establish the facts surrounding this serious incident,” the Pakistan Foreign Office said in a statement.
“India has also not shared findings of its internal inquiry with Pakistan,” it said.
The services of three officers of the Indian Air Force were terminated in August last year after a Court of Inquiry (CoI) found that deviation from the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) by them led to the accidental firing of the missile.
The Foreign Office alleged that India unilaterally and hastily closed the so-called internal inquiry which raised serious questions about the command and control systems in place in India for its strategic weapons.
“Pakistan reiterates its demand for a joint probe into this irresponsible incident,” it said.
“We also expect a satisfactory response to and clarification of several fundamental questions regarding security protocols and technical safeguards against the accidental or unauthorised launch of missiles in a nuclearised environment,” it added.
The Foreign Office stated that the missile endangered human life and property and posed a grave threat to regional and international peace, security and stability.
Last year also, Pakistan demanded that the Indian government provide specific responses to the queries raised by Islamabad after the incident and accede to its call for a joint probe.
However, India had said it accidentally fired the missile into Pakistan because of a “technical malfunction” during routine maintenance.
According to the U.S.-based Arms Control Association, the missile’s range is between 300 km (186 miles) and 500 km (310 miles), making it capable of hitting Islamabad from a northern Indian launch pad.
