Pakistan rejects India’s closure of inquiry into firing of supersonic missile, reiterates demand for joint probe

ISLAMABAD, Aug 24 (APP): Pakistan on Wednesday categorically rejected India’s purported closure of the highly irresponsible incident of firing of a rogue supersonic missile into Pakistani territory on March 9 and reiterated its demand for a joint probe.

“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 are totally unsatisfactory, deficient and inadequate,” the Foreign Office Spokesperson said in a press release.

The spokesperson said that they had 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 9th March, 2022 and the decision to terminate the services of three Indian Air Force (IAF) officers reportedly found responsible for the reckless incident.

The spokesperson said Pakistan reiterated 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.

“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,” he added.

The spokesperson further 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 was stressed.

The imprudent Indian action of March 9, 2022 had jeopardized the peace and security environment of the entire region. Pakistan’s demonstration of exemplary restraint was a testament of our systemic maturity and abiding commitment to peace as a responsible nuclear state, it was added.