Stating that the incident involving the accidental firing of a missile which ended up in Pakistan indicates many “loopholes and technical lapses” of serious nature in “Indian handling of strategic weapons”, Pakistan on Saturday demanded a joint probe to “accurately establish the facts” surrounding it. This was also conveyed to the Charge d’ Affaires (Cd’A) of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.
“The 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,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) of Pakistan said in a statement.
“The grave nature of the incident raises several fundamental questions regarding security protocols and technical safeguards against accidental or unauthorised launch of missiles in a nuclearised environment.”
Stating that they took note of the statement from the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the MoFA said such a serious matter cannot be addressed with the simplistic explanation offered by the Indian authorities.
On the missile landing in Pakistan, the MoD said the incident is “deeply regrettable” but it is also a matter of relief that there has been no loss of life.
Raising a series of questions, Pakistan said given the “profound level of incompetence,” India needs to explain if the missile was indeed handled by its “armed forces or some rogue elements”.
Pakistan also sought answers to several questions including the measures and procedures in place to prevent accidental missile launches and the particular circumstances of this incident, the “type and specifications of the missile”, the flight path and trajectory and how it ultimately turned and entered Pakistan. “Was the missile equipped with self-destruct mechanism? Why did it fail to actualise?” it said.