Pakistan test-fires nuclear capable ballistic missile

Iran Press TV

Thu Nov 13, 2014 12:56PM GMT

The Pakistani army has successfully test-fired an intermediate-range missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.

The Shaheen-II missile, also known as Hatf-VI, blasted off Thursday from an undisclosed location in the country, targeting somewhere in the Arabian Sea. The missile is said to be capable of hitting targets 1,500 kilometers (900 miles) away.

Pakistani military sources say the test was successful. This is the second time Pakistan has test-fired this type of rockets. Islamabad said the purpose of the launch was to ensure operational readiness and re-validate different technical parameters of the missile.

The director of General Strategic Plans Division, Lieutenant General Zubair Mahmood Hayat, addressed a gathering at the launch area on Thursday, saying that Pakistan has no aggressive intentions by carrying out such tests.

The test launch was reportedly hailed by Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. This is while such moves usually spark reactions in neighboring India.

India has routinely carried out missile tests since it demonstrated nuclear weapons capability in 1998. The Indian military has been also engaged in an arms race with the Pakistani armed forces since the partition of Pakistan from India in 1947.

Pakistan and India have so far refused to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and other international regulatory pacts that restrict developing or testing nuclear weapons.

India considers the NPT as discriminatory, while Pakistan has indicated that it will not join the international treaty until its neighbor does so.

MOS/HMV/KA