Agencies, PAKISTAN has decided to test fire a long range missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, a government minister said today.
Foreign Minister Khursheed Kasuri declined to specify when the missile would be tested, or what was its exact range.
The missile belongs to the Shaheen series, Kasuri told reporters in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. Last year, Pakistan test fired the Shaheen 1, which has a range of about 700 kms, far enough to hit India's capital, New Delhi, and other major targets.
Shaheen 2, another missile from the same family, has also been developed. It has a range of more than 1,900 kms but has never been tested.
“We have our own plan. We have our own timetable for missile tests,” Kasuri said.
He reiterated Pakistan's missile development program was for defensive purposes.
Pakistan and India have begun a historic peace process, and Kasuri's comment appeared aimed at allaying any Indian fears about the motive for the test.
