New Delhi, August 29
Pakistan on Thursday upped its ‘nuclear rhetoric’ and said it had tested a short-range nuclear warhead carrying a missile capable of hitting targets at 290 km, effectively bringing almost entire Punjab, parts of Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, J&K, Rajasthan and Gujarat within its range.
The Director General of Inter Service Public Relations (DG-ISPR) said Pakistan had on Wednesday night tested a short-range nuclear missile in Sindh. ‘Ghaznavi’ is a short range, solid fuelled, road mobile, surface-to-surface ballistic missile. Three days ago on August 26, Pakistan had informed India about the missile test. An agreement on missile-test protocol between India and Pakistan, inked in October 2005, requires prior information for such a launch.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the Sweden-based think tank in its “year book 2019” estimates that India has some 130-140 nuclear warheads while Pakistan has 150-160, cautioning: “The governments of India and Pakistan make statements about some of their missile tests but provide no information about the status or size of their arsenals”.
India has a triad — the ability to launch nuclear weapons from land, air and sea. Pakistan does not have the ability to launch a nuclear-tipped missile from sea. Also, Indian missiles have longer ranges.
Today’s move by Pakistan comes within days of its PM Imran Khan, in a broadcast to his nation, saying “if the conflict on Kashmir heads towards a war, then remember both nations have nuclear weapons and no one is a winner in a nuclear war. This conflict will have global consequences”.
Ups Ante on N-arms
- Ghaznavi is a road mobile, surface-to-surface ballistic missile with 290 km range
- Almost entire Punjab, parts of HP, Haryana, J&K, R’sthan & Gujarat fall within range
- India has a triad — the ability to launch nuclear weapons from land, air and sea
- Pakistan does not have the ability to launch a nuclear-tipped missile from sea
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