ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday rejected Indian investigation report about the March 9 missile incident and the sacking of three Indian Air Force officers as “unsatisfactory, deficient and inadequate” 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 said in a statement.

Indian Air Force had a day earlier said that the Court of Inquiry (Col), which investigated the missile incident, found out that violation of Standard Operating Procedures by three officers had caused the “accidental firing of the missile”.

The three officers found guilty of the SOPs breach were terminated from service.

Pakistan had at the time of the formation of CoI rejected it, saying it needed to be involved in the investigation as the missile had struck a site on its territory.

The FO statement said: “Pakistan categorically rejects India’s purported closure of the highly irresponsible incident and reiterates its demand for a joint probe.”

“Systemic loopholes and technical lapses of serious nature in handling of strategic weapons cannot 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,” the statement emphasised.

Meanwhile, Pakistan has strongly condemned the “highly provocative and sacrilegious remarks” made by a BJP leader against the Holy Prophet (PBUH), APP reported.

The “highly derogatory remarks have gravely hurt the feelings of the people of Pakistan and billions of Muslims around the world,” the FO spokesperson said.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2022