The Indian Agni missile (left) and the Pakistani A Ghauri I missile (right)

ISLAMABAD, January 9 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) – Pakistan’s army has taken possession of a nuclear-capable ballistic missile, a spokesman said Thursday, January 9, a first in the history of the country’s nuclear program.

The intermediate-range surface-to-surface Hatf-V missile, known as Ghauri, was presented to President Pervez Musharraf in his capacity as army chief during a formal ceremony at a nuclear research plant on the outskirts of Islamabad on Wednesday, January 8, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.

General Musharraf said it was “a proud day for him to be accepting the Ghauri system on behalf of the Army’s Strategic Force Command,” military spokesman Major General Rashid Qureshi quoted him as saying.

The Ghauri’s induction into the army “would radiate the necessary effects of deterrence,” Musharraf said.

With a range of up to 1,500 kilometers (930 miles), the missile is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead deep into Indian territory.

It was handed over by the directors of A.Q. Khan Research Laboratory (KRL), named after Abdul Qadeer Khan, the scientist who developed Pakistan's first nuclear weapon.

“It is the first time a nuclear-capable ballistic missile has been inducted into the army,” political observer Mohammad Afzal Niazi told AFP.

The Ghauri was first tested in April 1998, one month before Pakistan and India conducted tit-for-tat underground nuclear tests. It was test-fired again in April 1999 and as tensions between Pakistan and India peaked in May last year.

The missile is named after a Muslim warrior who defeated Indian ruler Prithvi Chauhan in the late 12th century.

The induction ceremony, closed to the media, was attended by top generals, nuclear scientists and engineers. The Ghauri, painted in camouflage khaki and grey colors, was wheeled out of a workshop mounted on a truck and driven past Musharraf and other top brass, military-issued photographs showed.

The KRL laboratory is involved in enrichment of weapons-grade uranium, used to build nuclear weapons, and missile development.

The Dawn newspaper on Wednesday reported that U.S. officials believe Khan initiated contact with North Korea in 1992 to obtain a dozen medium-range Nodong ballistic missiles. Observers say the Ghauri is based on the Nodong.

The New York Times has twice reported that in exchange Pakistan provided North Korea with gas centrifuges needed to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons.

Musharraf lashed out at the recent raft of reports alleging a nuclear technology-for-missiles trade between Pyongyang and Islamabad as a “sinister smear campaign to denigrate and malign our national heroes.”

“We are a responsible nation and are aware of our international obligations,” he said. “Our command control structures, which have been in place for four years now, are watertight.

“We reject all such malicious stories and allegations comprehensively.”

Khan himself denied any role in the export of nuclear technology, telling a scientific gathering in the eastern city of Lahore that the reports were malicious and nuclear technology could not be easily exported, state media reported.

India Tests Ballistic Missile

Meanwhile, India tested a ballistic missile Thursday capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, drawing immediate condemnation from Pakistan and stoking simmering tensions between the neighbors.

The missile was a variant of the Agni I and was test fired at a remote coastal range in the eastern state of Orissa witnessed by Defense Minister George Fernandes, spokesman P.K. Bandopadhyay told AFP.

The missile is India’s first intermediate-range missile and has a range of about 600-800 kilometers (370-500 miles). It can be launched from rail and road missile launchers giving it high mobility.

Pakistan, which like India possesses nuclear weapons, said the test demonstrated India’s “war-mongering” mindset.

“Pakistan is above such war-mongering psyche,” Pakistan’s Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed told AFP.

“At the same time we are not oblivious to our defense requirements.”

India said Islamabad had been informed about the “routine” test.

“Our view is that this is part of our routine integrated guided missile program,” Bandopadhyay said.

“It is a routine test and takes place each year around this time. It has nothing to do with war-mongering. It has no correlation with the present situation.”

International Concern Growing 

International concern has been growing over the frequent missile tests by India and Pakistan.

Even before the latest test was carried out, Canadian Foreign Minister Bill Graham expressed “deep concern” over India’s intention and urged it to cancel the tests.

“Canada deeply regrets that India is once again planning to test nuclear-capable ballistic missiles, particularly at a time when tensions with Pakistan remain high,” Graham said in a statement.

“As was the case with Pakistan’s missile tests in October 2002, we fear that these tests will exacerbate tensions in an already volatile region and detract from constructive efforts to achieve a peaceful solution.”

India and Pakistan came close to war last year during a tense ten-month military stand-off.

New Delhi blamed Pakistan-based militants fighting Indian rule in Kashmir for an attack on its parliament in December 2001, and both countries sent hundreds of thousands of troops to their borders. Most of the troops were withdrawn in October 2002, but rhetoric from both sides has not died down.

In December Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said he would have used unconventional warfare against India if it had invaded Pakistan during last year's tensions. He later insisted that he was referring to guerrilla warfare rather than nuclear weapons.

But on Tuesday, January 7, Indian Defense Minister Fernandes said Pakistan would be wiped out if India responded in the event of a nuclear conflict. “We can take a bomb or two or more... but when we respond there will be no Pakistan,” he said.

A day later, Pakistan Information Minister Ahmed replied: “We do not want war but if war is imposed on Pakistan, we have the will to give a crushing reply.”

Meanwhile on Saturday the Indian government announced a nuclear command and control structure, declaring it had placed command over its nuclear arsenal in the hands of a committee headed by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.