Pakistan test fires nuclear-capable missile

March 19, 2005 Pakistan announced that their military conducted a successful test-firing of a nuclear-capable missile, with a range of 2,000 km (1,200 miles), earlier today.

"Today, we carried out a successful test-firing of the indigenously developed Shaheen II missile," announced a Pakistani military official.

A statement issued by the Pakistani military noted that Pakistan gave prior notice of the test to nearby countries.

"The test was carried out to verify some of the refined technical parameters," the statement said, "Al Hamd-o-Lillah' (With the grace of God) all parameters were validated."

Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf congratulated the engineers and scientists who conducted the successful test.

"The capability was here to stay, will continue to go from strength to strength and no harm will ever be allowed to come to it," said Musharraf.

The Press Trust of India pointed out that the missile, "was capable of hitting targets deep into the Indian territory," and that the missile had been test-fired previously under the name Hatf-VI, as a counterpart to India's Agni-II missile system.

India and Pakistan have both conducted a series of missile tests in the region.