NEW DELHI: India is reviewing its standard operating procedures for weapons systems and will immediately fix any shortcomings after accidentally launching a missile into Pakistan last week, its defence minister said on Tuesday.
Pakistan said it was not satisfied and reiterated a demand for a joint investigation into the incident.
The missile, released around 7 p.m. last Wednesday during routine maintenance and inspection, landed in Pakistan without causing any casualties, India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told parliament. “We attach the highest priority to the safety and security of our weapon systems,” Singh said in the first public statement by an Indian official on the incident first reported by Pakistan’s military on Thursday.
“I would also like to state that a review of the standard operating procedures for operations, maintenance and inspections is being conducted,” Singh added.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said at a news conference that the statement was “incomplete and insufficient”.
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“Pakistan cannot be satisfied by the explanation given, and I reject it,” he said, adding that Islamabad wanted a joint probe. China urged the two countries to set up a reporting mechanism to avoid such incidents and share information, said Zhao Lijian, a spokesman at its foreign ministry. “Pakistan and India are both important countries in South Asia, bearing responsibilities for maintaining regional security and stability,” he told reporters on Monday.
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