Pakistan strongly protested after a high-speed ‘flying object’ launched from India entered Pakistani airspace and landed near Mian Channu in Khanewal district on March 9, 2022.
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Director-General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Babar Iftikhar said the object was detected inside Indian territory at around 6:43pm before changing its course and entering Pakistan. It eventually landed near Mian Channu at around 6:50pm.
According to the Pakistan military, the object travelled approximately 124 kilometres inside Pakistani territory before crashing. It damaged civilian property, but no loss of life or human injuries were reported.
Addressing a press conference, Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar said the object appeared to be a supersonic missile, although he stressed that it was unarmed.
He said the Pakistan Air Force continuously monitored the object’s flight path from its point of origin in India until its impact near Mian Channu.
The military also said the flight path posed a potential risk to commercial and domestic passenger flights operating in Indian and Pakistani airspace.
Pakistan called on India to explain the incident and strongly protested what it described as a violation of its airspace.
The Foreign Office subsequently summoned India’s chargé d’affaires and demanded a thorough and transparent investigation into the incident.
A day after Pakistan’s initial statement, India’s Ministry of Defence acknowledged that a missile had accidentally entered Pakistani territory.
The Indian government said a technical malfunction during routine maintenance had resulted in the accidental firing of the missile. It described the incident as deeply regrettable and ordered a high-level court of inquiry.
India also said it was a matter of relief that the incident did not result in any loss of life.
The incident raised concerns about aviation safety and the risks associated with an unintended missile launch between the two neighbouring countries.
