Pak FM Shah Mahmood Qureshi raises accidental missile firing from India, Kashmir issue in National Assembly

Speaking on the no-confidence motion against the Imran Khan government, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Saturday raised the issue of the accidental misfire of a missile from India into Pakistan in early March, saying that the accidental firing of the missile could have escalated into a full-fledged war between the two nuclear countries.

The Foreign Minister was speaking in the National Assembly after the House resumed its proceedings on the no-confidence motion at around 2:30 pm (local time), following an adjournment of the session in the morning after a ruckus in the House.

"They said that it was an accidental fire... I have written to the President of the Security Council, and I have written to the Secretary-General of the United Nations... that accidental fire, could have led to an accidental war, between two neigbours who are atomic powers," Qureshi said, adding that "the reaction time is not hours, its just minutes... It's such a dangerous game that India has played."

Referring to India, Qureshi said, "Where are the protocols, where was the "self-destructing system"? That missile was capable of carrying a nuclear warhead."

Diverting from the issue of the no-confidence, Qureshi talked about the India-Pakistan relations, holding the "RSS" and the "Hindutva" ideology responsible for the lack of dialogue.

"When have we rejected dialogue? My Prime Minister says, take one step towards peace, I will take two, but the Hindutva mindset that has come there... the RSS mentality that Delhi is occupied with... they don't want dialogue," Qureshi said.

Further talking about the Kashmir issue, Qureshi said that India seeks to keep Kashmiris "bounded".

"There are issues on Pakistan's concerns. Why do they remain silent on that? Is the Jammu and Kashmir issue not our issue? If we ask them to take a stand they say no, do it bilaterally," Qureshi said speaking on the no-trust vote against Khan and his government.