New Delhi: Pakistan has demanded a joint probe rejecting India’s action over the March 9 accidental firing of a supersonic missile that landed on its territory. The services of three officers of the Indian Air Force were terminated on August 23 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.
In a late Wednesday night statement, the Foreign Office said that Pakistan has seen India’s announcement of the findings of an internal CoI regarding the “incident of firing of a rogue supersonic missile” into its territory and the decision to terminate the services of three IAF officers reportedly found responsible for the reckless incident.
ALSO READ | Services Of 3 IAF Officers Terminated Over Accidental BrahMos Missile Firing Incident
“Pakistan categorically rejects India’s purported closure of the highly irresponsible incident and reiterates its demand for a joint probe,” it stated.
“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,” the FO added.
: PR NO. 3️⃣9️⃣7️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣2️⃣
Pakistan rejects India’s purported closure of the incident of the firing of a supersonic Missile into Pakistani territory on 9 March, 2022 and reiterates demand for joint probe
🔗⬇️https://t.co/FK44PWvLxL pic.twitter.com/G1Cr6bUgfL
— Spokesperson 🇵🇰 MoFA (@ForeignOfficePk) August 24, 2022
Islamabad has alleged that India not only ‘failed’ to respond to its demand for a joint inquiry but has also evaded the questions raised by Pakistan regarding the command and control system in place in India, the safety and security protocols, and the “reason for India’s delayed admission of the missile launch”.
Systemic loopholes and technical lapses of serious nature in handling of strategic weapons “cannot be covered up beneath the veneer of individual human error”, it stated.
“If indeed India has nothing to hide, it must accept Pakistan’s demand for a joint probe in the spirit of transparency,” the Foriegn Office demanded.
It further stressed that the “imprudent Indian action” of March 9 had “jeopardised” the peace and security environment of the entire region while “Pakistan showed exemplary restraint” which was a testament to its systemic maturity and abiding commitment to peace as a responsible nuclear state.
Pakistan reiterated its demand that the Indian government immediately provide specific responses to the queries raised by Islamabad after the incident and accedes to its call for a joint probe.
In the BrahMos missile misfiring incident on March 9, 2022, Pakistan had claimed that the missile launched from India entered its airspace and fell near Mian Channu in Khanewal district, causing damage to civilian property.
(With Agency Inputs)