Pakistan categorically rejected India’s purported closure of the inquiry into the firing of a supersonic missile into the country and reiterated its demand for a joint probe into the highly irresponsible incident.
“We have seen India’s announcement of the findings of an internal Court of Inquiry regarding the incident of firing of a rogue supersonic missile into Pakistani territory on 9 March, 2022 and the decision to terminate the services of three Indian Air Force (IAF) officers reportedly found responsible for the reckless incident,” the foreign office said in a statement.
The statement said that 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 were totally unsatisfactory, deficient and inadequate.
The BrahMos missile, which is a nuclear-capable, land-attack cruise missile jointly developed by Russia and India, was fired earlier this year after which Pakistan sought answers from India on the safety mechanisms in place to prevent accidental launches.
“India has not only failed to respond to Pakistan’s 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,” said the statement issued today.
It said that systemic loopholes and technical lapses of serious nature in handling of strategic weapons could not be covered up beneath the veneer of individual human error.
“If indeed India has nothing to hide then it must accept Pakistan’s demand for a joint probe in the spirit of transparency,” it added.
The Foreign Office called India’s action over the March 9 firing “imprudent”, pointing out that it had jeopardized the peace and security environment of the entire region.
“Pakistan reiterates its demand that the Indian Government must immediately provide specific responses to the queries raised by Pakistan after the incident and accedes to its call for a joint probe.”
