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Wednesday, October 9, 2024

Indian missile in Pakistani territory: Intentional or accidental incident?

India said on Friday it had accidentally fired the missile into Pakistan last week because of a "technical malfunction" during routine maintenance, giving its version of events after Pakistan warned New Delhi of "unpleasant consequences." The international community must play its due role in promoting stability in a nuclearised environment.

On 9th March, a high-speed flying object was detected by the Air Defense Center of the Pakistan Air force in the Indian Territory, and it expeditiously transmuted its course and fell into Pakistani territory near Mian Channu at 6:50 pm. Pakistani defense institutions showed a high level of vigilance and detected the missile while inside the Indian Territory. As the incidents of the Past point out, Pakistani armed forces are always yare to contravene any threat to Pakistani security and Sovereignty. The press conference of the DG ISPR was additionally measured and did not endeavor to escalate the situation.

Despite the measured replication from Pakistan, this incident points towards an earnest quandary, especially if we explore it in the context of the past incidents and the overall situation in India. There can be two possibilities either it was accidental, or it was a deliberate endeavor by India to check the bulwark of Pakistan. Both of these possibilities are concerning for Pakistan as well as for the international community.

Read more: India’s missile debacle raises serious questions

Was this incident a planned strategy?

The Indian defense structure has proved incapable of protecting sensitive technologies. The Indian command and Control system, as well as technology, seem impuissant and incapable. On the 17 February of this year, 8 people were apprehended from Nepal for possessing illicit Uranium Nepal. This Uranium was illicitly bought from India, and they were selling it in Nepal. This was not the only incident. Last year, four Nepali nationals were apprehended from Nepal.

According to the one suspect, it was obtained by his father-in-law from India. Furthermore, a report of the South Asian Strategic Stability Institute, from 1994-2021, 200 KG uranium larceny was reported. In addition, this report claimed that theft of Uranium had been going on in India since 1979; however, the magnitude increased during the decennium of the 1980s. According to the resolution of the United Nation Security Council and IAEA convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Material are the binding instrument that demands from countries to take stringent measures so that Uranium does not fall into the erroneous hand. This recent incident additionally highlights that the incapability of the Indian Command and Control system is a grave threat to the life of billions of people.

This incident could have imperil the lives of thousands of people

During the press conference, DG ISPR told the reporters that when this missile entered the airspace of Pakistan, at that time, there were many domestic and international flights were present there. We have seen in the world that many airlines have become victims of missile attacks. So, this incapability of the Indian Forces shows that many flights could have become a victim of Indian failure.

Furthermore, this is not constrained to the airlines that were flying in the air. It could hit any village or nearby city, where thousands of people become victims of the Indian failure. In this case, it would be hard for Pakistan to respond in a restrained manner. The failure of India is additionally visible in this manner that the Indian Ministry responded after the press conference of the DG ISPR. They did not even know about the incident; it highlights the lack of political ascendancy and coordination between civil and military institutions. This is also hazardous because the RSS and other Hindu extremists are entering the Indian Defense institutions.

Read more: Looking at India and Pakistan’s nuclear arsenals

In the recent article in International Affairs Journal, Kira Huju talked about the Safforanization of Indian diplomacy and how under Modi’s rule Hindu Nationalists are perforating the Indian Foreign Service. The research article of Kira Huju is was just fixated on the Indian Foreign office; however, it cannot far from the veracity that under the Modi rule Hindu extremist and RSS is perforating consequential defense institutions such as the institutions cognate to missiles and nuclear weapons.

The execration for Muslims and Pakistan remained a prominent feature of the Modi election campaign. In the context of these events, it can be a deliberate endeavor to harm Pakistanis, and it can escalate the situation between India and Pakistan.

The international community should take notice

To contain China, the western countries have closed their eyes towards the quandary of India. When Indian were caught with Uranium, a Pakistani journalist asked the FATAF representative about the incident. The FATAF representative consummately ignored the question. Despite the 200kg larceny of Uranium in the past two decenniums, the US gave special access to India in the Nuclear Suppliers Group.

Prospect of future competitors to China, India can even get away with murder. Its human rights violations do not matter to western countries. Consequently, Pakistan should be careful in both cases. The international community should also take notice of these incidents.

Read more: India’s provocative intrusions in Pakistan

In this context, both scenarios: deliberate endeavor or incapability of India to manage sensitivities technology, Pakistan should insist on getting into the depth of the matter. Pakistan has rightfully claimed a joint investigation to ascertain the cause of this incident. Pakistan should vigorously raise the matter on international because such failures in the future can have catastrophic outcomes.

 

The writer is working as a researcher at the Institute of Policy Studies, Islamabad.  The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Global Village Space.