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DATE=4/6/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-229268
TITLE=PAK MISSILE (L)
BYLINE=MEREDITH BUEL
DATELINE=ISLAMABAD
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 
INTRO: PAKISTAN SAYS IT HAS SUCCESSFULLY TEST FIRED A 
SURFACE-TO-SURFACE MISSILE WITH A RANGE OF 15-HUNDRED KILOMETERS.
VOA ISLAMABAD CORRESPONDENT MEREDITH BUEL REPORTS.
TEXT:  THE PAKISTAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SAYS THE COUNTRY HAS 
SUCCESSFULLY FLIGHT TESTED A SURFACE TO SURFACE MISSILE CALLED 
THE HATF-FIVE.
A STATEMENT SAYS THE NEW MISSILE HAS A RANGE OF 1500-KILOMETERS 
AND A PAYLOAD OF 700-KILOGRAMS. THE STATEMENT CALLS THE TEST "A 
STEP FORWARD IN PAKISTAN'S INDIGENOUS MISSILE AND SATELLITE 
LAUNCH PROGRAMS."
THE STATEMENT QUOTES PRIME MINISTER NAWAZ SHARIF AS 
CONGRATULATING PAKISTAN'S SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS ON THE 
SUCCESSFUL TEST.
THE HATF-FIVE MISSILE -- WHICH IS ALSO CALLED THE "GHAURI" -- IS 
NAMED AFTER A 12TH CENTURY AFGHAN CHIEFTAIN WHO INVADED INDIA AND
DEFEATED A HINDU PRINCE WHO WAS RULING THE COUNTRY.
IT IS BELIEVED THE "GHAURI" IS DESIGNED TO COUNTER INDIA'S 
LONG-RANGE "AGNI" MISSILE.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE FOREIGN MINISTRY -- TARIQ ALTAF -- TOLD  
REPORTERS HE HOPES THE MISSILE LAUNCH WILL  NOT  SPARK AN ARMS 
RACE IN SOUTH ASIA.
                         // ALTAF ACT //
         WE HAVE DEVELOPED THIS IN TERMS OF OUR OWN SECURITY 
         NEEDS.  WE  WOULD WANT TO AVOID AN ARMS RACE IN OUR 
         REGION -- THERE IS NO  DOUBT ABOUT THAT.  WE WILL NOT 
         COMPROMISE ON OUR SECURITY -- THERE IS NO DOUBT ABOUT 
         THAT.
                          // END ACT //
BOTH INDIA AND PAKISTAN ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO BUILD
NUCLEAR WEAPONS ALTHOUGH BOTH COUNTRIES SAY THEIR NUCLEAR 
PROGRAMS ARE FOR PEACEFUL PURPOSES.
INDIA CONDUCTED AN UNDERGROUND NUCLEAR TEST IN 1974.
NEW DELHI AND ISLAMABAD HAVE REFUSED TO SIGN THE NUCLEAR 
NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY. PAKISTAN SAYS IT WILL NOT SIGN THE 
AGREEMENT UNLESS INDIA ALSO SIGNS THE TREATY.
ISLAMABAD SAYS IT MAY REVIEW ITS NUCLEAR POLICY FOLLOWING THE NEW
INDIAN GOVERNMENT'S DECISION TO REEVALUATE ITS NUCLEAR PROGRAM.
FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN TARIQ ALTAF SAYS MONDAY'S MISSILE TEST
SHOULD  NOT  HAVE AN IMPACT ON CONFIDENCE-BUILDING TALKS BETWEEN 
PAKISTAN AND INDIA.
                         // ALTAF ACT //
         SO MANY OTHER DEVELOPMENTS HAVE TAKEN PLACE WHICH HAVE  
         NOT  DETERRED US FROM HOLDING TALKS WITH INDIA.  THE 
         INDIANS, AFTER ALL, HAVE CARRIED OUT SO MANY TESTS OF 
         DIFFERENT KINDS OF MISSILES.  WE HAVE NEVER TAKEN A 
         POSITION THAT BECAUSE INDIA HAS TESTED THIS OR THAT 
         MISSILE THERE SHOULD BE NO TALKS BETWEEN US.  AS SUCH I 
         SEE NO REASON WHY SHOULD OUR TEST OF SOMETHING THAT WE 
         NEED SO FUNDAMENTALLY SHOULD HAVE ANY IMPACT ON THE 
         DIALOG. 
                          // END ACT //
THE UNITED STATES HAS FREQUENTLY EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT AN ARMS 
RACE IN SOUTH ASIA.  
THE U-S STATE DEPARTMENT SAYS THE DEPLOYMENT OR ACQUISITION OF 
BALLISTIC MISSILES WOULD BE A DESTABILIZING FACTOR IN THE REGION.
INDIA AND PAKISTAN HAVE FOUGHT THREE WARS SINCE BOTH COUNTRIES 
GAINED INDEPENDENCE FROM BRITAIN IN 1947.  (SIGNED)
NEB/MB/KL
06-Apr-98 10:26 AM EDT (1426 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.