Pakistan may have second thoughts and follow suit to test its Shaheen-II and other missiles in response to India’s test-firing of Agni-II, if the condemnation of the international community against the Indian test was not up to its expectations.
Pakistan might test one of its Shaheen-II missiles or take advantage of India’s test and begin a series of tests for its Ghauri, Shaheen and Hataf missiles, media reports here said on Sunday.
Pakistan’s defence spokesman Maj Gen Rashid Qureshi claimed that Pakistan’s deterrence was fully in its place and said Islamabad also reserved the’ right to conduct the tests of its missiles. A report in the local daily Jang, quoting sources, said that Pakistan might test Shaheen-II, if the international community did not take strong notice of Agni-II test-firing.
Judging from the response of the international community, barring expression of regret by countries like Britain for the tinting of the Agni-II test, the international reaction appeared to be not so adverse as expected by Pakistan. Another newspaper, Pakistan Observer said on Friday that Pakistan initially decided not to test Shaheen-II for fear of exposing its secret locations of missiles due to the presence of U.S. troops in Pakistan airbases.
President Pervez Musharraf called an emergency meeting of his military and civilian colleagues immediately to discuss the response. Other reports suggested that those consulted by Gen Musharraf included, Abdul Qdeer Khan, considered as father of Pakistan’s nuclear bomb. Mr Khan retired last year and made adviser to Gen Musharraf
It said initially Pakistan has decided not to be provoked by the Indian missile testing and wait to see the international reaction. But if the international community continued maintaining mysterious silence, it might go ahead and conduct missile test, the newspaper said. Shaheen-II has an expected range of 2,500 km. Nawai Waqt said the test firing of Agni has paved the way for Pakistan to conduct more missile tests.
Pakistan is said to be ready to conduct test of its ballistic missiles, which have been pending for a long time, it said. According to the report, under the Hataf series Pakistan had produced Ghauri, Shaheen and Hataf-I but, because of intense pressure, it had to confine itself only to conducting two tests each of the Ghauri and Shaheen and one of Hataf-I.
Following the Indian test, Pakistan
has indicated that it might resume testing of various versions of its missile
system, it said. Pakistan has already tested affective reach of short-range
Hyder-I missile, but its first test-flight is to be conducted. Institutions
working on missiles have also been pressing the government to give permission
to conduct more missile tests, it said. (PTI)