DATE=4/7/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-229320
TITLE=PAKISTAN MISSILE (L)
BYLINE=AYAZ GUL
DATELINE=ISLAMABAD
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: PAKISTANI POLITICAL AND SECURITY ANALYSTS SAY THE
LAUNCHING OF A MEDIUM-RANGE MISSILE BY PAKISTAN HAS BEEN LONG
EXPECTED, PARTICULARLY AFTER INDIA REPORTEDLY DEPLOYED BALLISTIC
MISSILES ON ITS BORDER. AYAZ GUL REPORTS FROM ISLAMABAD.
TEXT: PAKISTAN SAYS IT HAS SUCCESSFULLY TEST FIRED A
SURFACE-TO-SURFACE MISSILE WITH A RANGE OF 15-HUNDRED-KILOMETERS
AND A PAYLOAD OF 700-KILOGRAMS.
THE PAKISTAN GOVERNMENT SAYS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MISSILE
CALLED "HATF-FIVE" IS INTENDED TO COUNTER INDIA'S "AGNI" MISSILE
WHICH HAS A SIMILAR RANGE.
OBSERVERS SAY THIS IS THE FIRST MAJOR RESPONSE BY PAKISTAN TO
INDIA'S MISSILE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. THE TWO NEIGHBORING
COUNTRIES HAVE FOUGHT THREE WARS SINCE GAINING INDEPENDENCE FROM
BRITAIN IN 1947.
SHIREEN MAZARI IS A SECURITY AND POLITICAL ANALYST. SHE IS ALSO
THE FORMER HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE STRATEGIC STUDIES AT
ISLAMABAD'S QUAID-I-AZAM UNIVERSITY. SHE SAYS THE DEVELOPMENT OF
PAKISTANI BALLISTIC MISSILE HAS BEEN LONG OVER DUE.
// MAZARI ACT //
I THINK THIS HAS BEEN LONG OVERDUE BECAUSE INDIA HAS
BEEN BUILDING UP ITS MISSILES AND PAKISTAN HAS NOT
REALLY SHOWN ANY RESPONSE IN KIND. THEN INDIA LAST YEAR
ABOUT THIS TIME DEPLOYED THE "PRITHVI" (MISSILE) AND
AGAIN PAKISTAN MADE PEACEFUL OVERTURES BUT THE RESPONSE
FROM INDIA HAS NOT BEEN IN KIND, IT HAS BEEN AGGRESSIVE.
I THINK THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT PAKISTAN HAS FINALLY
MADE A SUBSTANTIVE AND REQUIRED CLEAR CUT RESPONSE TO
INDIA'S MILITARY BUILD UP, SPECIALLY ITS NUCLEAR AND ITS
MISSILE BUILD UP.
// END ACT //
INDIA AND PAKISTAN ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO BUILD
NUCLEAR WEAPONS, ALTHOUGH BOTH NATIONS SAY THEIR NUCLEAR PROGRAMS
ARE FOR PEACEFUL PURPOSES. NEW DELHI EXPLODED A NUCLEAR DEVICE
IN 1974.
WESTERN COUNTRIES AND THE UNITED STATES HAVE FREQUENTLY EXPRESSED
CONCERNS ABOUT AN ARMS RACE IN SOUTH ASIA.
MS. MAZARI SAYS PAKISTAN'S ABILITY TO DEVELOP HIGH-TECHNOLOGY
WEAPONS MAY PROMPT INDIA TO COME TO COME TO THE NEGOTIATING TABLE
TO RESOLVE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES.
// MAZARI ACT //
THIS WILL STOP THE ARMS RACE IN SOUTH ASIA BECAUSE NOW
PAKISTAN AND INDIA CAN SIT DOWN AND STABILIZE THE
DETERRENCE IN SOUTH ASIA IN TERMS OF CONTROLLING THE
NUMBERS AND CONTROLLING THE WARHEADS. THAT IS THE
NORMAL PROCEDURE THAT STATES DO THAT ARE INTERLOCKED IN
THESE CONFLICTUAL RELATIONSHIPS. SO I THINK WE CAN ONLY
TALK TO INDIA AT THE TABLE ON NUMBER CRUNCHING AND ON
LIMITATIONS, ONCE WE HAVE PROVEN OUR CAPABILITY SO THAT
INDIA WOULD BE PREPARED TO TALK TO US ON THESE ISSUES.
// END ACT //
PAKISTAN'S NEWEST MISSILE, CALLED THE "GHAURI" IS NAMED AFTER A
12TH CENTURY AFGHAN RULER WHO INVADED INDIA AND EVENTUALLY
ESTABLISHED MUSLIM RULE THERE. (SIGNED)
NEB/AG/RAE
07-Apr-98 9:33 AM EDT (1333 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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