ISLAMABAD: The foreign office on Wednesday rejected the findings of India’s internal inquiry into an incident of accidental firing of a cruise missile that fell into Pakistan’s territory, only a day after the Indian Air Force dismissed three officers held responsible for mishandling the weapon system.
The BrahMos missile was fired from India in March this year which crashed in Pakistan’s eastern province of Punjab, though it did not cause any casualties.
The Indian Air Force on Tuesday said three officers were held responsible for deviating from standard operating procedure, adding they had been dismissed from service.
“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.
“Pakistan categorically rejects India’s purported closure of the highly irresponsible incident and reiterates its demand for a joint probe,” it added.
The foreign office maintained the findings and punishments by India were totally “unsatisfactory, deficient and inadequate.”
“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 said. “If indeed India has nothing to hide then it must accept Pakistan’s demand for a joint probe in the spirit of transparency.”
Islamabad had also demanded an explanation from New Delhi after the cruise missile flew into Pakistan’s airspace.
The foreign office said India had not only failed to respond to Pakistan’s demand for a joint inquiry but had also evaded questions raised by it regarding the command and control system, safety and security protocols, and the reason for India’s delayed admission of the missile launch.
“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,” it said.
The foreign office noted the “imprudent” Indian action had jeopardized the peace and security of the entire region.
“Pakistan’s demonstration of exemplary restraint is a testament of our systemic maturity and abiding commitment to peace as a responsible nuclear state,” it added.
The Pakistan-India relations have remained under tremendous pressure after New Delhi revoked Article 370 in Kashmir, stripping the region of its limited autonomy in August 2019.
Prior to that, Pakistan had shot down an Indian fighter jet that violated its airspace in Kashmir and captured its pilot who was later released.
