The Defence Ministry stated that a missile accidentally fired from India into an area in Pakistan this week.
“Inadvertent firing of a missile occurred on 9 March 2022 during routine maintenance. The Government of India has taken a severe stance and ordered a high-level Court of enquiry, “said the Ministry of Defence in a statement.
It was discovered that the missile hit an area in Pakistan. Regrettably, the incident occurred, but it is also an indication of relief that no lives were lost due to the accident,” the statement added.
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Pakistan claims that the missile flew over 100 kilometers within their airspace at an altitude above 40,000 feet and three times as fast as sound before landing. The missile did not explode because there was no warhead.
The foreign office of Pakistan said that it summoned India’s charge d’affaires in Islamabad to protest the unprovoked violation of its airspace.
Pakistan demanded an investigation into the incident that it claimed could have endangered civilian lives and passenger flights.
Pakistan warned India to be aware of the “unpleasing consequences” of negligence and take appropriate measures to prevent future violations.
Major-General Babar Iftikhar, Pakistan’s military spokesperson, stated that a “high-speed flying object” crashed close to its eastern city of Mian Channu. It originated from Sirsa in northern India, located near New Delhi.
Military experts are puzzled by the incident, as firing a missile requires preparations, the identification, and the toggling of multiple switches.
Happymon Jacob, a professor in international studies at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University, said that both sides dealt with the situation well.
He wrote that he was encouraged that the two nuclear weapons states had maturely handled the incident. “New Delhi should offer compensation for the Pak house which was destroyed,” he wrote on Twitter.
Ayesha Siddiqa is an expert on South Asian military affairs. She wrote, “Given that incident… India and Pakistan should be talking about risk mitigation.”
“Both countries have maintained their confidence in the control of nuclear weapons, but what if they are again involved in an accident & with greater consequences?”
