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Why did India fail to immediately inform about accidental missile launch? asks Pakistan

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3 years ago

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Following India’s admission of “accidentally” launching a missile inside Pakistan, Islamabad questioned on Saturday why New Delhi failed to immediately share information about the incident and acknowledged the occurrence only after Pakistan announced it, seeking a clarification.

The delay from India’s side was highlighted in a list of questions issued by the Foreign Office (FO) a day after Delhi expressed regret over the incident, in which a missile launched from across the border fell in the Mian Channu area of Khanewal district on March 9. The Indian defence ministry said in a statement that an inquiry had been ordered into the incident.

India’s explanation on the matter came after Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar briefed the media about it, calling for clarification from Delhi on Thursday.

The FO took note of India accepting the missile accident, saying that the matter could not be addressed through the “simplistic explanation” by India.

“The grave nature of the incident raises several fundamental questions regarding security protocols and technical safeguards against accidental or unauthorised launch of missiles in a nuclearised environment,” the statement read.

It listed a set of questions and issues in this regard, which it said must be answered by the Indian authorities. The questions are as follows:

  • Explanation of the measures and procedures in place to prevent accidental missile launches and the particular circumstances of this incident.
  • Explanation of the type and specifications of the missile that fell in Pakistani territory.
  • Elaboration on the flight path/trajectory of the accidentally launched missile and how it ultimately turned and entered Pakistan.
  • Was the missile equipped with a self-destruct mechanism? Why did it fail to actualise?
  • Were Indian missiles kept primed for launch even under routine maintenance?
  • Why did India fail to immediately inform Pakistan about the accidental launch of the missile and waited to acknowledge it till after Pakistan announced the incident and sought clarification?
  • Explanation if the missile was indeed handled by its armed forces or some rogue elements given the profound “level of incompetence”.

The FO said the entire incident indicated many loopholes and technical lapses of a serious nature in India’s handling of strategic weapons.

“Indian decision to hold an internal court of inquiry is not sufficient since the missile ended up in Pakistani territory. Pakistan demands a joint probe to accurately establish the facts surrounding the incident,” the FO statement read.

The FO warned that given the short distances and response times, any misinterpretation by either side could lead to self-defence countermeasures with “grave consequences”.

“Pakistan, therefore, calls upon the international community to take serious notice of this incident of [a] grave nature in a nuclearised environment and play its due role in promoting strategic stability in the region,” the FO said.

On Friday, National Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf had similarly questioned Delhi’s ability to handle sensitive technology and urged the world to consider whether India was able to ensure the safety and security of its weapon systems.

In series a tweets, Yusuf had pointed out that it had taken Delhi more than two days to accept that “this was their missile launched ostensibly due to a technical malfunction during maintenance”.

He had also called for an investigation into the “real circumstances surrounding” the March 9 incident “to ascertain if this was an inadvertent launch or something more intentional”, saying that “it is hard to believe anything this Indian government says”.

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Business

Nineth round of political talks between Pakistan and the EU centers on trade and security

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9 months ago

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In their ninth round of political dialogue, which took place here on Wednesday, Pakistan and the EU discussed all aspects of their bilateral relationship, with a particular emphasis on the Strategic Engagement Plan (SEP), trade and development cooperation, security, climate action, migration, and mobility.

The team from Pakistan was led by Foreign Secretary Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi, while Enrique Mora, Deputy Secretary General of the European External Action Service, represented the EU.

Significant local and international happenings were also covered.

The two parties expressed satisfaction with the positive direction of the relationship and decided to keep working to expand and deepen bilateral ties between Pakistan and the EU in all areas of shared interest. They will do this by routinely convening institutional mechanism meetings and carrying out follow-up tasks.

The two sides acknowledged the significance of bilateral relations between Pakistan and the EU, concurring that frequent high-level meetings have given the relationship new life and emphasized the need for close communication and collaboration in the face of a geopolitical environment that is changing quickly.

In order to bring about diversification and sustainability in trade ties between Pakistan and the European Union, the Foreign Secretary emphasized the need for deeper collaboration with key stakeholders on both sides, acknowledging GSP Plus as a successful model of trade for development and mutually beneficial cooperation.

The two parties also decided to investigate fresh prospects under the EU’s major initiatives, Horizon Europe and the Global Gateway Strategy.

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Traval

In Canada, another member of the PIA crew disappears.

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9 months ago

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Jibran Baloch, a flight attendant, is the second PIA air hostess to vanish this month; she was scheduled to take a Toronto trip from Karachi and then left the hotel.

Flight 782 failed to arrive for its planned return duty on February 29. Jibran Baloch, a flight attendant, is the second air hostess to go this month.

When staff members searched Jabran Baloch’s room, they discovered that he had fallen. Another missing person from the hotel a few days earlier was a female air hostess. In just a few months, almost 12 air hostesses who were assigned to flights to Toronto had vanished.

A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight hostess is said to have vanished from her job in Canada earlier this month.

When Maryam Raza, who was supposed to be on aircraft PK 782 from Pakistan to Toronto, neglected to show up for work on the return trip, PK 784 from Toronto to Karachi, the event became public knowledge. According to those with knowledge of the situation, after PIA’s hanging uniform was found in her room, a letter with the words “Thank you, PIA” was found next to it.

This is the third instance of PIA flight attendants’slipping’ while on duty that has been documented this year; two of the cases involve women.

The efficacy of these procedures has not increased despite steps taken to prevent similar instances, such as obtaining the passports of flight attendants assigned to Toronto flights.

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Pakistan

China “agrees” to transfer $2 billion in debt to Pakistan.

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10 months ago

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ISLAMABAD China has “agreed” to roll over a $2 billion loan to Pakistan, according to sources cited by ARY News, which is a big milestone.

Sources inside the ministry of finance claim that the $2 billion loan will be rolled over under the current terms prior to its maturity date.

Less than 2 percent interest will be charged on the $2 billion in Chinese debt that is being deposited, according to sources.

According to reports, the $2 billion debt’s maturity period will conclude on March 23, 2024, and an additional $2 billion will be rolled over for a year.

It is important to note that as of the end of November in FY2023–24, Pakistan’s overall debt load was at an astounding Rs 63,399 trillion.

Over Rs12.430 trillion more was borrowed by the nation during the PDM and caretaker government’s mandate.

With domestic loans totaling Rs40.956 trillion and foreign loans totaling Rs22.434 trillion, Pakistan’s total debt load increased to Rs63.390 trillion.

China postponed paying Pakistan’s $2 billion debt for two years, starting in July 2023. Regarding the delay in debt recovery, Pakistan received an official letter from China Eximbank.

Pakistan will return the debt in accordance with the terms of the deal with China and was also spared from paying extra interest on the loan. According to further sources, all 31 loan agreements were extended over the original date of July 21, 2023, to June 30, 2025.

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