Pak launches retaliatory Ghauri II

The Pakistan government, however, tried to allay such fears. “Pakistan does not want a nuclear and missile race in South Asia,” said a statement issued by the foreign ministry after the test.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif congratulated Pakistan’s scientists on the “successful” test-firing of the missile. “The whole nation has reason to be proud,” said Sharif, who spoke to reporters at a Pakistani naval base in south-western Baluchistan province.

With a range of 2,000 km, Ghauri II is Pakistan’s longest-range missile and can carry a payload of 1,000 kg of either conventional or nuclear explosives, said Sharif. Reducing the payload can add another 300 km tothe range, he said. Ghauri II is an advanced version of a previously tested ballistic missile, Sharif said.

Because of the limited territory in which Pakistan had to test the missile, Sharif said the actual flight path of the missile was 1,150 km, but it had the ability to travel 2,000 km.

In Islamabad, people distributed sweets as news of the missile test filtered out. But Pakistan’s rupee fell on the foreign exchange market, continuing a tumble that began when Nawaz Sharif said earlier this week that Pakistan would carry out a test.

In the inter-bank market the dollar stood at PKR 50.75, up from PKR 50.70 yesterday. The unofficial, or kerb, rate for the dollar was PKR 51.60, up from PKR 51.50 yesterday. However, the Karachi stock market’s 100-share index was up by 5 points at the close of trading today. Dealers said the stock market’s reaction was subdued because a missile test in response to India’s was expected.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s government had been under pressure, including from hisown army chief, to answer India’s missile test with a test of its own. The missile tests come 11 months after India conducted a series of underground nuclear tests, prompting Pakistan to respond with tests of its own.

Pakistan says it doesn’t want to embark on an arms race but won’t be left behind if India begins developing nuclear arms.

In other countries, the test was greeted with concern. A statement issued by the Japanese foreign ministry bemoaned the testing by both Pakistan and India, saying “the missile testing could be detrimental to peace and stability in the region.”

Australia condemned the test, just as it had earlier condemned the similar Indian test. Australia’s foreign minister Alexander Downer urged both countries to refrain from entering into a “destabilising missile arms race” in South Asia.

A Russian official said Pakistan’s move can trigger a race of nuclear missile armaments in Asia, according to an Itar-Tass news agency report.China remained silent on the test but the officialXinhua news agency described it as a “matching response” to India’s Agni-II trial.