Missile firing into Pakistan

 

FO summons Indian Charge d’Affaires over unprovoked violation of
its air space

 

 

NEW DELHI/ISLAMABAD   -   A day after Pakistan Army spokesperson asked India ‘to explain’ what happened in Punjab’s Mian Channu, New Delhi expressed regret over a missile that entered Pakistan and fell in Mian Channu area of Khanewal district, attributing the incident to a “technical malfunction”.

In a statement, Indian Ministry of Defense said the Government of India has taken a serious view and ordered a high-level Court of Enquiry into a missile that entered into Pakistan. The statement said the incident is deeply regrettable, but it is a matter of relief that there has been no loss of life due to the accident.

The Indian Defence Ministry Friday regretted the accidental firing of a missile that landed in Mian Channu area of Khanewal district on March 9, 2022. The Indian Defenc Ministry, in a statement, said, “On March 9, 2022, in the course of routine maintenance, a technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile. “The government of India has taken a serious view and ordered a high level Court of Enquiry.”

 “It is learnt that the missile landed in an area of Pakistan. While the incident is deeply regrettable, it is also a matter of relief that there has been no loss of life due to the accident.”

Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Major General Babar Iftikhar Thursday said an unarmed supersonic projectile object detected by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) since its flight from the Indian side crashed on Pakistan’s soil near Mian Chunnu.

The ISPR DG told a media briefing that at 18:43 hours (6:43 p.m.) on March 9, the high speed flying object was picked up inside the Indian territory by the PAF Air Defence Operation System, which suddenly manoeuvred from its initial course and intruded into the Pakistani territory.

The projectile ultimately fell near Mian Chunnu and damaged some civilian property, however, no loss of life was reported, he added. Pakistan on Thursday summoned the Charge d’Affaires (Cd’A) of India to Foreign Office to convey Pakistan’s strong protest over the unprovoked violation of its airspace by an Indian origin ‘super-sonic flying object’.

The projectile entered into Pakistan from ‘Suratgarh’ India at 1843 hrs. (PST) on 9 March 2022, a statement from the office of the Foreign Office spokesperson said.  “The Indian diplomat was conveyed that the imprudent launch of the flying object not only caused damage to civilian property but also put at risk human lives on ground.”

The flight path of the flying object endangered several domestic and international flights within Pakistani airspace and could have resulted in a serious aviation accident as well as civilian casualties, the spokesperson said.

New Delhi’s clarification came after Pakistan on Thursday summoned India’s charge d’affaires.

Islamabad said that a high-speed Indian projectile entered its airspace and crashed near Mian Channu city in Khanewal district, damaging some civilian property.

Military experts have in the past warned of the risk of accidents or miscalculations by the nuclear-armed neighbours, which have fought three wars and engaged in numerous smaller armed clashes, usually over the disputed territory of Kashmir.

Tensions have eased in recent months, and the incident, which may have been the first of its kind, immediately raised questions about safety mechanisms.

Pakistan’s foreign office summoned India’s charge d’affaires in Islamabad to lodge a protest over what it called an unprovoked violation of its airspace, saying the incident could have endangered passenger flights and civilian lives.

Pakistan warned India “to be mindful of the unpleasant consequences of such negligence and take effective measures to avoid the recurrence of such violations in future”.

One senior Pakistani security official told Reuters, on the condition of anonymity, that the incident had raised alarm and could have escalated into a “critical untoward situation”.

“The admission that it was a missile was very nonchalant,” he said. “What does this say about their safety mechanisms and the technical prowess of very dangerous weapons? The international community needs to have a very close look at this.” The official said it was possibly a BrahMos missile – a nuclear-capable, land-attack cruise missile jointly developed by Russia and India.

According to the U.S.-based Arms Control Association, the missile’s range is between 300 km (186 miles) and 500 km (310 miles), making it capable of hitting Islamabad from a northern Indian launch pad.

The Pakistani official wondered if the incident meant that India had “missiles in ready-to-launch positions and pointed at Pakistan, and that too without any safeguard of a command and control system”.

A Pakistan air force official said the object, flying at 40,000 feet and three times the speed of sound, had flown 124 km (77 miles) in Pakistani airspace.

Happymon Jacob, a professor of international studies at New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University, said both sides had handled the situation well.

“It gives me great hope that the 2 nuclear weapon states dealt with the missile incident in a mature manner,” he wrote on Twitter. “New Delhi should offer to pay compensation for the Pak house that was destroyed.”

‘Unprovoked violation of airspace’

Pakistan Friday lodged a strong protest with India over unprovoked violation of its airspace by an Indian origin ‘super-sonic flying object’.

In a press release in Islamabad, Foreign Office Spokesperson Asim Iftikhar said the Charge d’Affaires of India was summoned to the Foreign Office today to lodge Islamabad’s strong protest over the unprovoked violation of its airspace by ‘super-sonic flying object’.

It said the object entered into Pakistan from ‘Suratgarh’ India at 1843 hrs on Wednesday and crashed near Mian Chunnu city at around 1850 hrs causing damage to civilian property.

The Spokesperson said the Indian diplomat was conveyed that imprudent launch of flying object not only caused damage to civilian property, but also put at risk human lives on ground.

The spokesperson said flight path of flying object endangered several domestic and international flights within Pakistani airspace and could have resulted in a serious aviation accident.

He said such irresponsible incidents were also reflective of India’s disregard for air safety and callousness towards regional peace and stability.

The Foreign Office spokesperson called for a thorough and transparent investigation into the incident, the outcome of which must be shared with Pakistan.