Representational Image
New Delhi: A top official of Pakistan on Thursday claimed that an Indian "high speed flying object" had fallen in the Punjab province's Khanewal district, reports say.
The newspaper Dawn reported Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar, Director General of Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) as describing the finding of the object in Pakistan's territory.
"It was a supersonic flying object, most probably a missile, but it was certainly unarmed," he told reporters on Thursday. Meanwhile, reports earlier had suggested a private aircraft crashing in the area, IANS reported.
"On March 9, at 6.43 p.m, a high speed flying object was picked up inside the Indian territory by Air Defence Operations Centre of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF)," the ISPR chief said.
The ISPR chief alleged that the object drifting off its initial course toward Pakistani territory, violating Pakistan's airspace. "When it fell, it damaged civilian properties," he said. He did report any no loss of life.
"PAF continuously monitored the complete flying path of the object, from its point of origin near Sirsa in India to its point of impact, near Mian Channu. It initiated requisite tactical actions, he added.
He said the object's flight path endangered many international and domestic passenger flights, including of both Indian and Pakistani airspace. He added that this could have resulted in a major aviation disaster.
"Whatever caused this incident to happen, it is for the Indians to explain. It, nevertheless, shows their disregard for aviation safety and reflects very poorly on their technological prowess and procedural efficiency," Dawn quoted the ISPR chief as saying.
"Pakistan strongly protests this flagrant violation and cautions against recurrence of any such incident in the future," he warned.
Air Vice Marshall Tariq Zia told the media that there were two airway routes active and several commercial airlines in the area when the object was picked up.