By PTI
WASHINGTON: The United States has said there is no indication that the recent firing of a missile from India which landed in Pakistan was anything other than accidental.
India on Friday said it accidentally fired a missile two days back that landed in Pakistan and that the “deeply regrettable” incident was caused by a technical malfunction in the course of its routine maintenance.
“We have no indication as you also heard from our Indian partners that this incident was anything other than an accident,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters at his daily news conference on Monday.
“We refer you of course to the Indian Ministry of Defense for any follow-up. They issued a statement on March 9th to explain precisely what had happened. We don’t have a comment beyond that,” Price said in response to a question.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Monday said India’s explanation of the “accidental firing” of a missile was a “serious matter” that could not be addressed with a “simplistic explanation” offered by New Delhi and once again pressed for a joint probe.
Qureshi made these remarks during a telephonic conversation with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Office here.
Qureshi briefed Baerbock regarding violation of Pakistan’s airspace by an Indian missile on March 9, it said.
The Foreign Minister said that India had regretted what it called “accidental” firing of the missile.
He, however, said such a “serious matter” could not be addressed with the “simplistic explanation” proffered by the Indian authorities, the Foreign Office said.
He said Pakistan had called for a joint probe and was calling upon the international community to take serious notice of this incident of grave nature in a nuclearised environment and play its due role in upholding and promoting strategic stability in the region.
On Friday, the Indian government said it accidentally fired a missile two days back that landed in Pakistan and that the “deeply regrettable” incident was caused by a technical malfunction in the course of its routine maintenance.
India’s defence ministry said that the government has taken a serious view of the incident and ordered a ‘Court of Enquiry’ into it, a day after Pakistan said a high-speed projectile launched from India entered its airspace and fell near Mian Channu in Khanewal district of the Punjab province.
On Saturday, Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) said it was not satisfied with India’s “simplistic explanation” on the “accidental firing” of the missile and demanded a joint probe to accurately establish the facts surrounding the incident.
Qureshi in his conversation with the German counterpart underscored that Pakistan was determined to further deepen its collaboration with Germany across all areas of mutual benefit.
China on Monday said India and Pakistan should hold dialogue as soon as possible and launch a “thorough” investigation into the recent “accidental firing” of a missile from India which landed in Pakistan’s Punjab province.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian, during a media briefing here, said both Pakistan and India are important countries in South Asia and they share the responsibility to uphold regional security and stability.
Asked by a Pakistani journalist about China’s response to the “accidental firing” of the Indian missile, he said: “We have noted the relevant information”.
“Pakistan and India are both important countries in South Asia, bearing responsibilities for maintaining regional security and stability,” he said.
“China calls on the countries to hold dialogue and communication as soon as possible, and look thoroughly into the incident, step up information sharing, and promptly establish a reporting mechanism so that such incidents will not happen again, and misunderstanding and misjudgement can be avoided,” he said in revised comments posted on the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
Interestingly, Zhao’s comments did not back Pakistan’s demand for a “joint probe” into the incident.
On Friday, the Indian government said it accidentally fired a missile two days back that landed in Pakistan and that the “deeply regrettable” incident was caused by a technical malfunction in the course of its routine maintenance.
India’s defence ministry said that the government has taken a serious view of the incident and ordered a ‘Court of Enquiry’ into it, a day after Pakistan said a high-speed projectile launched from India entered its airspace and fell near Mian Channu in Khanewal district of the Punjab province.
“On March 9, in the course of a 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,” the defence ministry said in a statement.
On Saturday, Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) said it was not satisfied with India’s “simplistic explanation” on the “accidental firing” of the missile and demanded a joint probe to accurately establish the facts surrounding the incident.
The FO summoned the Indian Charge d’Affaires and registered its protest over the “unprovoked” violation of its airspace and said that such “irresponsible incidents” reflected India’s “disregard” for air safety.
Pakistan also called upon the international community to take serious notice of this incident of grave nature in a nuclearised environment and play its due role in promoting strategic stability in the region, the FO said.
Though the statement by India’s defence ministry did not specify the name of the missile, the description given by the Pakistan military indicated that it could be a Brahmos missile.
Ties between India and Pakistan nose-dived after a terror attack on the Pathankot Air Force base in 2016 by terror groups based in the neighbouring country.
Subsequent attacks, including one on an Indian Army camp in Uri, further deteriorated the relationship.
The relationship deteriorated after India announced withdrawing the special powers of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcation of the state into two union territories in August 2019.
India’s move to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019 outraged Pakistan, which downgraded diplomatic ties and expelled the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad.
It also snapped all air and land links with India and suspended trade and railway services.
India has said that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan in an environment free of terror, hostility, and violence.
India has said the onus is on Pakistan to create an environment free of terror and hostility.
