ISLAMABAD – Pakistan test fired a ballistic missile Saturday as tensions with India spiked over last month's deadly attack on tourists in the disputed Kashmir region.
The surface-to-surface missile has a range of 450 kilometers (about 280 miles), the Pakistani military said. There was no immediate comment about the launch from India, which blames Pakistan for the April 22 gun massacre in the resort town of Pahalgam, a charge Pakistan denies.
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Pakistan's military said the launch of the Abdali Weapon System was aimed at ensuring the “operational readiness of troops and validating key technical parameters,” including the missile’s advanced navigation system and enhanced maneuverability features.
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated those behind the successful test. Missiles are not fired toward the border area with India; they are normally fired into the Arabian Sea or the deserts of southwest Balochistan province.
Islamabad-based security analyst Syed Muhammad Ali said Saturday's missile was named after a prominent Muslim conqueror of India, underlining its symbolic significance.
“The timing of this launch is critical in the current geopolitical context,” Ali told The Associated Press. He said the test was intended as a strategic signal to India after it had threatened to suspend a crucial water-sharing treaty.
India's navy said on April 27 that its vessels had successfully undertaken anti-ship firings to “revalidate and demonstrate readiness of platforms, systems and crew for long-range precision offensive strike.”
Ashok Malik, a former policy adviser in India's Foreign Ministry, said there was anger across the country following the gun attack. The 26 victims came from 13 different states.
“Internationally, there is enormous sympathy for India and little patience with Pakistan," said Malik. "I don’t believe anybody in India wants a full-fledged war. Even so, there is domestic pressure and diplomatic space for a sharp, targeted, and limited response.”
The ongoing “muscle flexing” by both countries' troops was reflective of the tense mood and also apparent in the “unremitting hostilities” on the Line of Control, the de facto border dividing Kashmir, he said.
Kashmir is split between India and Pakistan and claimed by both in its entirety.
They have fought two of their three wars over the stunning Himalayan region and their ties have been shaped by conflict, aggressive diplomacy and mutual suspicion, mostly due to their competing claims over Kashmir.
The latest flare-up led the two countries to expel each other’s diplomats and nationals, as well as the shuttering of airspace.
On Saturday, India suspended the exchange of all mail from Pakistan through air and surface routes and slapped an immediate ban on the direct and indirect import of all goods from its neighbor.
India has also banned Pakistani-flagged ships from entering its ports and prohibited Indian-flagged vessels from visiting Pakistani ports.
India's military said Saturday that Pakistani troops had fired at positions across the border for a ninth consecutive night. The statement called the firing unprovoked and said Indian troops “responded promptly and proportionately.”
Pakistan did not confirm the exchange of fire at the Line of Control.
The incident could not be independently verified. In the past, each side has accused the other of starting border skirmishes.
Passions ran high among the Pakistanis who traveled to the Wagah crossing with India to see the famous flag-lowering ceremony.
The spectacle involves Pakistan’s Rangers and India’s border Security Force in a dramatic parade on either side of the crossing, with just a gate between them, their high kicks stretching skyward.
Shoaib-ur-Rehman said no other experience stirred such powerful feelings of patriotism in him and that he witnessed “extraordinary emotions” during Saturday’s ceremony.
Rehman expressed his opposition to a war with India, but said he would fight alongside Pakistan’s military if one broke out.
Sundas Batool wanted India to provide evidence about Pakistan’s involvement in the Pahalgam attack.
“The other side must have seen our energy, our spirit,” said Batool, referring to the crowds on the other side of the border. “My message to India is: We are ready for anything.”
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Associated Press writers Aijaz Hussain, Rajesh Roy, and Babar Dogar contributed to this report from Srinigar, India; New Delhi, and Wagah, Pakistan.