Pakistan test-fires missile
The missile with a range of 1,300km was launched to mark the end of a military exercise.
He said that Pakistan’s nuclear capability had matured to full operational capability in the past seven years.
Khaled Mahmood, an Islamabad-based analyst, said the test was probably meant as a message to domestic hardliners who claim that Pervez Musharraf, the Pakistani president, was “unilaterally giving concessions to India”.
He said: “It is obviously a show of power as the missile test came a day after the two sides held talks.”
In March 2005, Pakistan test-fired its longest nuclear capable missile, the Shaheen II, which can travel over 2,000km.
India test-fired its nuclear-capable Agni III missile, with a range of 3,000 km, in July 2006.
G. Parthasarthy, a former Indian high commissioner to Pakistan, said that Pakistan was welcome to test whatever missiles it wanted.
He said: “We all know that these are either of Chinese or North Korean origin. Perhaps, it’s a symbol of welcome to Chinese president Hu Jintao’s visit to the region next week. It won’t affect India-Pakistan relations.”