Brahmos missile misfire: Pakistan rejects closure of inquiry by India

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday categorically rejected India’s “purported closure” of the highly irresponsible incident of the firing of a rogue supersonic missile into Pakistani territory and reiterated its demand for a joint probe.

India on Tuesday said it held three Indian Air Force (IAF) officers responsible for the Brahmos missile misfire into Pakistan on March 9 and issued the termination orders after completing the probe.

The Brahmos missile had entered Pakistan territory from Suratgarh city of India’s Rajasthan state, however, no casualties were caused after its landing except damages to public properties.

“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.

“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,” it added.

The spokesperson said India had 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.

The spokesperson further said that systemic loopholes and technical lapses of serious nature in the 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.

The FO reiterated that Pakistan wanted the Indian government to immediately provide specific responses to the queries raised after the incident and accede to its call for a joint probe.