Pakistan seeks joint probe into accidental missile firing by India
Pakistan has sought a joint probe into the "missile misfire" event that happened on Wednesday when a missile launched from India landed on Pakistani soil, The Indian Express reported on Sunday. The country's foreign ministry labeled the event as "grave" and stated that it generated several security concerns in the region. It said the joint investigation will accurately determine the facts surrounding the event.
Why does this story matter?
Pakistan claimed that a "high-speed flying object" originating from Sirsa in Haryana fell in the eastern city of Mian Channu on Wednesday. Its foreign ministry also summoned India's Charge d'Affaires to Islamabad to protest what it called an "unprovoked breach" of its airspace. Before ordering a high-level investigation, The Defence Ministry described the occurrence as "accidental" firing during maintenance and expressed regret.
Pakistan foreign ministry raises serious doubts
Releasing a statement on Saturday, Pakistan's foreign ministry claimed that India's intention to convene an internal court of investigation is insufficient because the missile landed in Pakistani territory. The ministry has raised seven questions, including if the missile had a self-destruct mechanism, if so, why it had failed, and whether India maintained its missiles primed for launch even while undergoing maintenance.
Envoys of P-5 nations to be briefed
Pakistan had accused India of endangering innocent lives on the ground by breaching its airspace. Its foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the planes operated by Saudi and Qatar airlines as well as domestic flights had also been put at risk by India. He added that envoys of P-5 countries (China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, and United States) will be briefed about the incident.
Reiteration of peace by India, Pakistan
Notably, despite the challenges, the almost 13-month agreement between the two nations confirming their commitment to the 2003 ceasefire has restored quiet to the Line of Control and International Border. "It gives me great hope...the 2 nuclear weapon states dealt with the missile incident in a mature manner," tweeted Happymon Jacob, professor of international studies at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University.
Incident as described by Pakistan
"On March 9, at 6:43 pm, a high-speed flying object was picked up inside the Indian territory. It deviated and entered Pakistan territory and fell down, causing some damage to civilian installations, but no loss of life was reported," Pakistan's military spokesman Major General Babar Iftikhar said. He further stated the missile was flying at 40,000 feet at thrice the speed of sound.
Description of the missile matches BrahMos
According to a report by The Print, Pakistan's description of the missile fits that of the BrahMos supersonic missile. Moreover, the lack of a warhead indicates that it was a test firing. Significantly, BrahMos is used by both the Indian Army and Air Force. In addition to surface-to-surface BrahMos missiles, the Indian Air Force has air-launched variants that are fired from SU-30 MKIs.
