As both sides try to avoid escalation, India’s missile’malfunction’ has prompted Pakistan to seek a joint investigation

The “mistake” that sent an unarmed Indian missile deep inside Pakistan on March 9 had the potential to turn into a full-fledged crisis, but the two countries appeared to make a concerted effort to keep things calm.

As the missile landed in Pakistani territory on Saturday, the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs called for a “joint investigation to accurately establish the facts surrounding the incident,” saying the “grave nature” of the incident raised many questions about India’s “security protocols and technical safeguards against accidental or unauthorised missiles” in the “nuclearized” region.

“Since the missile landed in Pakistani territory, India’s decision to hold an internal court of inquiry is insufficient. Pakistan has demanded a joint investigation to “accurately establish the facts surrounding the incident,” according to a statement from the ministry.

The statement raised seven questions, including whether the missile had a self-destruct mechanism and, if so, why it had failed, and whether India kept its missiles primed for launch even when they were being repaired.

Pakistan demanded “a joint investigation” just one day after India admitted that a “technical malfunction resulted in the accidental firing of a missile.”

“On 9 March 2022, during routine maintenance, a technical malfunction resulted in the accidental firing of a missile,” the Ministry of Defence said in a statement Friday. The Indian government has taken a serious stance and has appointed a high-level court of inquiry. According to reports, the missile landed in Pakistan. While the incident is deeply regrettable, it is also a source of relief that no one was killed as a result of it.”

He said India would need to take corrective measures to reassure its own citizens and the rest of the world about the security of its missile forces, starting with a suspension of missile tests and a review of command-and-control procedures.”A more significant step would be to send Pakistan letters formally extending the 2005 ballistic missile test pre-notification agreement to include cruise missiles.” “Agreeing to a similar protocol for immediate notification of accidental missile launches would be prudent in terms of limiting the potential grave consequences of a repeat of this incident,” said O’Donnell, who works on nuclear issues, militaries, and national security decision-making processes in South Asia.

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