Pakistan nearly launched retaliatory strike after India’s missile misfire: Report

Islamabad, however, held back from the retaliatory strike after a preliminary assessment suggested that something was amiss, the website quoted people “familiar to the matter” as saying.

On March 9, Pakistan had said that a high-speed Indian missile had crashed near Mian Channu city in Khanewal district. Pakistani authorities said that the missile had damaged civilian property. However, the misfire did not cause any casualties.

India on March 11 expressed regret and said a court of inquiry had been ordered into the matter. The defence ministry said a “technical malfunction” during routine maintenance led to the misfire.

After the accidental launch, New Delhi did not use a direct hotline between top military commanders of both countries to inform Pakistan about it, the Bloomberg report stated, citing unidentified officials. They said that India only released an official response after Pakistani officials held a briefing to announce that the missile had landed in its territory.

Meanwhile, Islamabad has demanded a joint investigation into the matter. The Indian government has not given a specific response to Pakistan’s demand as yet.

On Monday, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan had said that his country observed restraint despite the misfiring.

India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday told the Rajya Sabha that a high-level inquiry has been ordered to find out the exact cause. He, however, said that India’s missile systems are “highly reliable and safe”.