Pakistan test-fires missile amid escalating tensions with India

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s military conducted a successful test-launch of a Fatah series surface-to-surface missile with a range of 120 km as part of its ongoing “Exercise INDUS”, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistan army’s media arm, announced on Monday.

This follows Saturday’s test of the Abdali weapon system , a ballistic missile with a range of 450 km, signalling heightened military posturing amid fears of an Indian incursion.

The tests, celebrated by President Asif Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief Gen Syed Asim Munir, underscore Pakistan’s resolve to bolster its defence capabilities in a volatile regional climate.

According to ISPR, the goal of Monday’s Fatah launch was to verify “key technical parameters”, such as improved precision and advanced navigation, and to guarantee “operational readiness of troops”. Similar emphasis was placed on technical proficiency during Saturday’s Abdali test, where military authorities praised the missile’s improved navigation and manoeuvrability capabilities. Senior Army Strategic Forces Command leaders, scientists, and engineers watched both launches, which were presented as actions to preserve “credible minimum deterrence” against external aggression. The exercise’s symbolic name, “INDUS”, alludes to the Indus river system, a lifeline Pakistan fears India may threaten after New Delhi’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty .

Tensions have soared since the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly civilians. India, alleging Pakistan’s “cross-border linkages” to the incident, has vowed severe retaliation. Pakistan’s fears of a possible military attack have been heightened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to give India’s armed forces “complete operational freedom”. The Abdali test on Saturday was described by Indian authorities as a “dangerous escalation” and a “reckless act of provocation”, with reports suggesting that New Delhi anticipated Pakistan’s missile testing. In response, Pakistan has denied India’s charges, demanded an impartial investigation into the Pahalgam terror attack , and threatened that any attempt to disrupt Indus water flow would be treated as an act of war.