Pakistan test fires short-range missile

ISLAMABAD, March 3 (Reuters) Pakistan successfully test-fired a short-range nuclear-capable, surface-to-surface ballistic missile today, the military said.

The Hatf-II Abdali had a range of 200 km (125 miles), it said in a statement. ''The test was aimed at validation of the desired technical parameters which has been successfully achieved.'' Pakistan and India routinely carry out missile tests, and have agreed to inform each other of tests in advance.

The foreign ministers of Pakistan and India met in New Delhi in February and signed an accord to reduce the risk of accidents linked to their nuclear arsenals.

Last week Pakistan test-fired a long-range nuclear-capable, surface-to-surface Hatf VI missile which can hit targets within 2,000 km.

Pakistan's Hatf series of missiles is named after an ancient sword mentioned in Islamic historical books.

The Hatf-II was last reported to have been tested in February 2006.

Diplomats have discerned no pattern in the timing of missile tests in the past.

Pakistan carried out tit-for-tat nuclear weapons tests in 1998, days after India had conducted similar tests.

The two countries nearly went to war for a fourth time in 2002 but their relations have improved since they embarked on a peace process in 2004.

They are scheduled to begin a fresh round of their composite dialogue process in mid-March aimed at resolving outstanding issues.

REUTERS RR RK1028