Pakistan has test fired a ballistic missile as tensions with India spiked over last month’s deadly attack on tourists in the disputed Kashmir region.
The surface-to-surface missile has a range of 450km, the Pakistani military said.
Pakistan’s military announced on Saturday that the test launch of the Abdali Weapon System was conducted to ensure the “operational readiness of troops and validate key technical parameters,” such as the missile’s sophisticated navigation system and improved manoeuvrability capabilities.
Both President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif extended their congratulations to the team responsible for the successful test. The missiles are typically not launched toward the border with India; instead, they are directed toward the Arabian Sea or the deserts in the south-west Balochistan province.
Security analyst Syed Muhammad Ali, based in Islamabad, noted that the missile was named after a significant Muslim conqueror of India, highlighting its symbolic importance.
“The timing of this launch is critical in the current geopolitical context,” Ali told The Associated Press.
He said the test was intended as a strategic signal to India after it had threatened to suspend a crucial water-sharing treaty.
India’s navy said on April 27 that its vessels had successfully undertaken anti-ship firings to “revalidate and demonstrate readiness of platforms, systems and crew for long-range precision offensive strike.”
Kashmir is split between India and Pakistan and claimed by both in its entirety.
They have fought two of their three wars over the stunning Himalayan region and their ties have been shaped by conflict, aggressive diplomacy and mutual suspicion, mostly due to their competing claims over Kashmir.
The latest flare-up led the two countries to expel each other’s diplomats and nationals, as well as the shuttering of airspace.
