Islamabad on Saturday demanded that Delhi explain its delayed response over the unprovoked violation of its airspace by an Indian origin ‘super-sonic flying object’ which entered into Pakistan from ‘Suratgarh’ India.

The above-mentioned query was part of the list of questions Pakistan issued in a statement while taking note of the India Ministry of Defence Friday’s statement.

Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar, while addressing a press conference on March 11, said the projectile that entered the Pakistani airspace was a supersonic missile that originated from India and fell near Mian Channu, causing some damage to the surrounding areas. According to the ISPR DG, the projectile travelled 124kms inside Pakistan from India.

Pakistan strongly condemns Indian violation of airspace: DG ISPR

India on Friday said it regretted the March 9 incident in which a missile was “accidentally” launched from the country and entered Pakistani territory, crashing in the Mian Channu area of Khanwal district in Punjab. In a statement, the Indian government took a “serious view” of the situation and ordered a “high-level” court of enquiry.

“We have taken note of the Press Statement by the Indian Press Information Bureau’s Defence Wing regretting the ‘accidental firing’ of the Indian origin missile into Pakistani territory on 9 March 2022 due to ‘technical malfunction’ and decision to hold an internal Court of Inquiry,” the FO said.

The Foreign Office was of the view that the nature of the incident raises several fundamental questions regarding security protocols and technical safeguards against the accidental or unauthorised launch of missiles in a nuclearised environment. “Such a serious matter cannot be addressed with the simplistic explanation proffered by the Indian authorities,” it read.

Some of the questions that need to be answered include:

• India must explain the measures and procedures in place to prevent accidental missile launches and the particular circumstances of this incident.
• India needs to clearly explain the type and specifications of the missile that fell in Pakistani territory.
• India also needs to explain the flight path/ trajectory of the accidently launched missile and how it ultimately turned and entered into Pakistan?
• Was the missile equipped with self-destruct mechanism? Why did it fail to actualize?
• Are Indian missiles 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 it till after Pakistan announced the incident and sought clarification?
• Given the profound level of incompetence, India needs to explain if the missile was indeed handled by its armed forces or some rogue elements?

The whole incident indicates many “loopholes and technical lapses of serious nature” in Indian handling of strategic weapons, the FO said, adding that the Indian decision to hold an internal court of inquiry was “not sufficient” since the missile ended up in Pakistani territory.

FO summons Indian envoy, protests unprovoked airspace violation

Pakistan demanded a joint probe to accurately establish the facts surrounding the incident, it added.

It expressed concerns that given the short distances and response times, any misinterpretation by the other side could lead to countermeasures in self-defence with grave consequences. “Pakistan, therefore, calls 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.”

National Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf on Friday raised similar questions in a series of tweets. "It has taken more than 2 days for India to accept that this was their missile launched ostensibly due to a technical malfunction during maintenance," he said.

The NSA had said the world must remove its "blinders" about the Indian state’s behaviour within its country, its diplomatic direction, and its disregard for the need for peace in its neighbourhood.