Rawalpindi: An Indian projectile entered Pakistani airspace on Wednesday (March 9) and landed near Mianchanu in the Hanewar district, causing some damage to the surrounding area.
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director-General Major General Babar Iftihar told a news conference in Rawalpindi that Pakistan strongly condemned the incident and demanded an explanation from India.
“At 6:43pm [on Thursday], a high-speed flying object was picked up inside the Indian territory by the Air Defence Operation Centre of the Pakistan Airforce,” he said.
“From its initial course, the object suddenly manoeuvred towards the Pakistani territory and violated Pakistan’s airspace [before] ultimately falling near Mian Channu at 6:50pm.”
He said that when the projectile fell, it damaged some civilian property.
“Thankfully, no loss or injury to human life was caused,” he said, adding that the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) continuously monitored the complete flight path of the flying object from its point of origin near Sirsa in India till its point of impact near Mian Channu.
He went on to say that the Pakistan Air Force took the necessary tactical actions in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and the flight path of the object endangered the safety of many international and domestic passenger flights and the safety of life and property in the airspace of India and Pakistan. on the ground.
“The reason this happened is for Indians to explain,” he said. “However, it shows their disregard for aviation safety and reflects very poorly on their technical prowess and procedural efficiency.”
Major General Iftikhar said the incident could lead to a major aviation disaster as well as civilian casualties on the ground.
“Pakistan strongly protests this flagrant violation and cautions against the recurrence of any such incident in the future,” he asserted.
He said that an inquiry into the matter has been launched and forensics are being carried out but confirmed that the supersonic flying object was “most probably a missile,” but it was “certainly unarmed.”
“Whatever has caused this, we will wait for an explanation from the Indian side,” he reiterated, adding that the Pakistani armed forces are fully prepared to deal with all such scenarios.
