Pakistan today announced that it has tested a Hatf 3 missile, an “indigenously developed” ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead (see GSN, Sept. 22).

Using a new name for the missile, the Pakistani military said in a statement “This was the second test of the Ghaznavi missile which is capable of carrying all types of warheads accurately up to a range of 290 km.”

Islamabad has planned a series of tests to take place over the next few days, Reuters reported.  Pakistan played down underlying tension with its nuclear neighbor, India.

“The timings of the tests reflect Pakistan’s determination not to engage in a tit-for-tat syndrome to other tests in the region,” the statement said.  “Pakistan will maintain the pace of its own missile development program and conducts tests as per its technical needs,” it added (Reuters, Oct. 3).

Indian Defense Ministry spokesman Amitabh Chakravorty said that New Delhi had been told ahead of time about the missile test.

“Pakistan had given due notification to us,” he said (Munir Ahmad, Associated Press/Yahoo!News, Oct. 3).

Indian Defense Minister George Fernandes said today that “there is nothing special” about the missile test (Press Trust of India/Hindustan Times, Oct. 3).

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