The Coast Guard on Friday ordered a board of inquiry against its northwest region chief of staff DIG BK Loshali after finding his reply "unsatisfactory" to a show-cause notice on his remarks that he had ordered that a Pakistani boat be blown up.
On Tuesday, Loshali had contradicted the government's claim that the crew on an intruding Pakistani boat had set it afire. Defence minister Manohar Parrikar, the ministry and the coast guard had maintained that when the boat was chased by coast guard ships, four men on board set it ablaze.
"DIG B K Loshali was served a showcause notice on February 18. The reply to the notice has been received and is found to be unsatisfactory. Therefore, in accordance with the extant procedures a board of inquiry has been ordered to investigate the details and establish the facts," the Coast Guard said.
The Coast Guard also circulated a CD of the December 31 operation off the Porbandar coast among the journalists to back their claim that the boat was blown up by its Pakistani occupants.
It also said the Coast Guard stood by the information released to media by ministry of defence dated on January 2 and rejected various media interpretation on the issue of interception of the boat. The Coast Guard said "suitable action will be taken on receipt of the proceedings of the Board of Inquiry".
{{/usCountry}}It also said the Coast Guard stood by the information released to media by ministry of defence dated on January 2 and rejected various media interpretation on the issue of interception of the boat. The Coast Guard said "suitable action will be taken on receipt of the proceedings of the Board of Inquiry".
{{/usCountry}}"Further it has also been established from the commanding officer of the coastguard ship Raj Ratan rpt Raj Ratan, involved in the operation on the night of December 31, 2014 that he had received no communication from DIG B K Loshali," the Coast Guard said.
Pakistan foreign office spokeswoman Tasneem Aslam, meanwhile, said that Pakistan had made it clear that none if its boats went missing as claimed by Indian officials. "It has been proven from the contradictory statements issued by top Indian officials that the boat issue was a drama that has now been exposed," Dawn online quoted Aslam as saying.
Responding to a question about Indian foreign secretary S Jaishankar's visit to Pakistan, the spokesperson made it clear that all outstanding issues between the two countries would be discussed when he visits Islamabad.
However, Aslam added that no dates for the foreign secretary's visit had been finalised.
She asserted that Pakistan was committed to having a meaningful dialogue with India and had never backtracked.
Regarding the Samjhauta Express incident which left 68 people (mostly Pakistanis) dead and its investigation, Aslam said Indian authorities had never shared any probe reports with Islamabad.
The train was carrying 757 passengers, including 553 Pakistanis, from New Delhi to Lahore via Attari when it was targeted by two low-intensity improvised explosive devices which caused a major fire in the carriages near Shiva village in India's Panipat district.
She added that in view of the anniversary on February 18 of this tragic incident, Pakistan once again demanded that the Indian government share the complete investigation reports with the government of Pakistan.