'No Indication That India's Missile Firing Was Anything Other Than Accident': US

An unarmed Indian supersonic missile had entered Pakistan's territory on 9 March, damaging civilian property.

Image used for representational purposes.

Photo: IANS

The United States on Monday, 14 March, said that there was no indication that the recent firing of a missile from India, which landed in Pakistan, was "anything other than an accident," PTI reported.

An unarmed Indian supersonic missile had entered Pakistan's territory on 9 March, causing damage to the country's civilian property. The object had later hit a private cold storage property near Mian Channu city in the Punjab province. The accident, however, did not lead to any loss of life.

"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 on Monday.

"We refer you, of course, to the Indian Ministry of Defense for any follow-up. They issued a statement on 9 March to explain precisely what had happened. We don't have a comment beyond that," Price said in response to a question.

'Could Have Responded, Observed Restraint': Imran Khan

Meanwhile, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday, 13 March, said the country could have responded to India after its unarmed missile "accidently" landed in Pakistan's Punjab province on Wednesday, but it chose to observe restraint, news agency PTI reported.

Addressing a public rally in Hafizabad, Punjab, on Sunday, in the wake of no-confidence motion moved against him by joint Opposition, PM Khan said, "We could have responded after an Indian missile fell in Mian Channu, but we observed restraint," reported news agency PTI.

Khan further said, "We have to make our defence and country strong."

On Saturday, 12 March, Pakistan's Foreign Office had said it wasn't satisfied with India's "simplistic explanation" on the "accidental firing" of the missile. It also demanded a joint probe to "accurately find the facts surrounding the accident."

It also questioned why India had failed to inform Pakistan regarding the "accidental launch" of the missile immediately and demanded information regarding the safeguards that are in place in India to prevent such accidents.

India's Defence Ministry on Friday, 11 March, claimed that the missile was "accidentally fired" after a technical malfunction during routine maintenance. It further added that a high-level court of enquiry had been ordered to probe the incident.

(With inputs from PTI.)