Pakistan to continue missile development

Islamabad, Apr 4 (UNI) Pakistan today said it will continue its missile development programme but at the same time maintain minimum credible deterrence.

''We conduct missile tests as part of efforts to maintain minimum credible deterrence and the programme will continue,'' Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tasneem Aslam said at a press briefing here.

Pakistan test-fired an upgraded version of a nuclear-capable cruise missile Babur or HATAF-VII with a range of upto 500 kilometres last month.

Pakistan began test-firing different versions of long, short and medium range delivery systems in April 1998 with the test of Ghauri-1 intermediate range missile, which can hit targets as far away as 1,500 kilometres and is capable of carrying nuclear and conventional warheads.

UNI XC AK PC2011