THE Pakistan military said Monday that it had successfully conducted a second missile test with a range of 120 kilometres, the second in two days amid soaring tensions with India after terrorists shot dead 26 people in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22.
The security agencies have said that some digital footprints and markers point towards Pakistani involvement, while Islamabad has rejected the allegations as mere accusations. The attack has sparked a fresh standoff between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
“The launch was aimed at ensuring the operational readiness of troops and validating key technical parameters, including the missile’s advanced navigation system and enhanced accuracy,” the military said in a statement.
Before this, on Saturday, the military said it had tested a surface-to-surface Abdalli ballistic missile with a range of more than 450 kilometres without highlighting the specifics of these tests.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he was satisfied with the military’s “full preparedness for national defence.” “The successful training launch clearly shows that Pakistan’s defence is in strong hands,” he said in a statement.
The missile training launch comes after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he has given his military “full operational freedom” to respond to the April 22 attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people.
While both nations have upped their war rhetoric, the pressure from the international community has piled on India and Pakistan, urging them to exercise maximum restraint.
Two sides are still engaged in border skirmishes in Jammu and Kashmir for the 11th consecutive day on Monday.
The region is divided into two parts. More than half of the population, out of 15 million, is living on the Indian side of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, while the rest of the population of this region resides in Pakistan. Meanwhile, both sides have fought several times over this complex region.
Sensing the incoming Indian attack, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has postponed an official visit to Malaysia scheduled for Friday as tensions mounted, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Monday.
His office said the two sides spoke on Sunday night and that he “conveyed that he looked forward to paying an official visit to Malaysia later this year.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was in Islamabad on Monday for an official visit. “Pakistan is presenting its case to friendly countries,” Information Minister Attaullah Tarar told reporters during the visit to Kashmir on Monday.
