Pakistan conducts ballistic missile test amid escalating hostilities with India following Kashmir bloodshed incident
ROCKIN' THE BOAT: MUNIR AHMED ISLAMABAD (AP) - Pakistan jousted its muscle Saturday, sending a ballistic missile soaring through the sky as tensions with India spiraled over last month's brutal attack on tourists in the disputed Kashmir region.
The surface-to-surface missile, christened the Abdali Weapon System, boasts a range of 450 kilometers (approximately 280 miles), per the Pakistani military's declaration. No immediate response rippled from India regarding the launch, which they accuse of being perpetrated by Pakistan's nefarious actions in Pahalgam, where 22 innocent lives were callously extinguished on April 22nd.
Pakistan's military officials claimed the missile launch aimed to demonstrate the "operational readiness" of troops and verify crucial technical parameters such as the missile's advanced navigation system and agile maneuverability capabilities. Pakistan's President, Asif Ali Zardari, and Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, commended the test's success. Missiles are not typically aimed toward the border zone with India; instead, they are traditionally launched into the Arabian Sea or the deserts of Southwest Balochistan province.
Syed Muhammad Ali, an Islamabad-based security analyst, noted that the missile's name harkens back to a renowned Muslim conqueror of India, underscoring its symbolic significance. He asserted the timing of the launch as crucial in the current geopolitical landscape, suggesting that it was intended as a strategic signal to India following their threats to suspend a vital water-sharing treaty.
India's navy echoed the defiant sentiment on April 27th, boasting that its vessels successfully executed anti-ship firings to "revalidate and demonstrate readiness of platforms, systems, and crew for long-range precision offensive strikes." Ashok Malik, a former policy advisor in India's Foreign Ministry, articulated the widespread anger that has gripped the country following the horrific attack, which claimed the lives of victims hailing from 13 different states.
"Internationally, there is considerable sympathy for India and limited patience with Pakistan," Malik disclosed. He made it known that he didn't see any desire for a full-fledged war among Indians but acknowledged that "domestic pressure and diplomatic space" allowing for a "sharp, targeted, and limited" response exist.
This ongoing display of bravado by both countries' forces mirrors the tense atmosphere and is manifested in the "unrelenting hostilities" along the Line of Control, which serves as the de facto border dividing Kashmir. Kashmir is partitioned between India and Pakistan, both vying for ownership in its entirety.
They have fought two of their three wars over the breathtaking Himalayan region, and their relations have continuously been shaped by conflict, fiery diplomacy, and mutual suspicion, predominantly due to their competing claims over Kashmir. The latest conflict led the two nations to expel each other's diplomats and nationals, as well as the closure of airspace.
On Saturday, India halted correspondence by all postal mail from Pakistan via air and surface routes, and an immediate ban was enforced upon the import of goods from the neighboring nation. India has also prevented Pakistani-flagged ships from accessing its ports and prohibited Indian-flagged vessels from visiting Pakistani ports. India's military stated that Pakistani troops had fired at positions across the border for a ninth consecutive night, and Indian forces responded suitably. Pakistan refrained from confirming the exchange of fire at the Line of Control. The occurrence could not be independently verified as each side has historically blamed the other for initiating border skirmishes.
Aijaz Hussain and Rajesh Roy, Associated Press writers hailing from Srinagar, India, and New Delhi, collaborated on this report.
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