Tag: India missile incident

  • Pakistan approaches UN while US says missile incident is anything other than an accident

    Pakistan approaches UN while US says missile incident is anything other than an accident

    Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told the Indian parliament that the country is conducting a review of its standard operating procedures (SOPs) for operations, maintenance and inspection of weapons systems, reports Dawn.

    “We attach the highest priority to the safety and security of our weapon systems. If any shortcoming is found, it would be immediately rectified,” the Indian defence minister added.

    The statement came after an Indian “accidental” missile launch at Pakistan that fell in Mian Channu, Khanewal district on March 9. After two days, the Indian government released a statement in which they said the missile accidentally was fired due to a technical malfunction.

    An Indian media reports claim that India informed Pakistan about this “accidental firing” soon after it happened. However, Pakistan said that India failed to inform Islamabad about the accidental launch immediately, and waited until after the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) announced the incident about “high-speed flying object” and sought clarification from New Delhi.

    Meanwhile, Foreign Minister (FM) Shah Mahmood Qureshi approached United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Qureshi briefed Guterres on the matter and stressed that this needs to be addressed by the international community, including the UN Security Council (SC). Qureshi briefed Guterres on the matter stressed that this needs to be addressed by the international community, including the UN Security Council (SC).

    US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price on Monday said there is “no indication” that India launched a missile attack on Pakistan. He said that it was “anything other than an accident”. He also advised the journalist [who asked the question] to reach out to the Indian Defence Ministry for a follow-up.

    “I’m not familiar with that particular incident. What I would say is that nuclear safety around the world, especially in countries — nuclear-armed countries, is always a conversation that is ongoing,” Price added.

  • ‘Was missile handled by Indian army or rogue elements?’ Pakistan demands ‘joint probe’ into missile incident

    ‘Was missile handled by Indian army or rogue elements?’ Pakistan demands ‘joint probe’ into missile incident

    Pakistan took notice of the clarification by the Indian Defence Ministry regretting the “accidental firing” of the Indian-origin missile into Pakistani territory and demanded a “joint probe to accurately establish the facts surrounding the incident”.

    In a statement issued today (March 12), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the grave nature of the incident raised 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,” said the Foreign Office (FO) statement.

    Pakistan said 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 accidentally launched missile and how it ultimately turned and entered Pakistan?
    • Was the missile equipped with self-destruct mechanism? Why did it fail to actualise?
    • 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,” said the statement, adding that the Indian decision to hold an internal court of inquiry is “not sufficient since the missile ended up in Pakistani territory”.

    “Pakistan, therefore, calls upon the international community to take serious notice of this incident of [a] grave nature in a nuclearised environment and play its due role in promoting strategic stability in the region,” the FO said.

    Pakistan’s National Security Adviser (NSA) Dr Moeed Yusuf tweeted yesterday that it has taken more than two days for India to accept that this was their missile launched ostensibly due to a technical malfunction during maintenance.

    “This raises serious questions about India’s ability to handle such sensitive technology. This missile traveled close to the path of international and domestic commercial airlines and threatened the safety of civilians,” said Yusuf.