Pakistan Friday successfully test-fired medium-range nuclear capable ballistic missile Hatf-4 Shaheen-1 on the conclusion of the Pakistan Army's annual field training exercises, said an official statement. A Strategic Missile Group (SMG) of the Pakistan Army s Strategic Force Command (ASFC) conducted a successful training launch of Shaheen-1. Shaheen-1 Ballistic Missile System, with a range of 700 kms, is an operationalised weapon system held by the ASFC and is routinely fired during training exercises by the troops of the ASFC, the statement issued by the Inter Services Public Relations or ISPR said. The field launch exercise of the ASFC was witnessed by Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, senior military officers and scientists. Addressing the troops in the exercise area, Kayani congratulated them on achieving high standards of training and excellent results. He said that the nation had developed a strong nuclear deterrence capability and expected that the officers and men entrusted with the task of deterring aggression would continue to train hard and maintain professional excellence. The army chief said that Pakistan did not have any aggressive designs against anyone and its nuclear capability was solely for the purpose of deterring all types of aggression. Referring to international concerns regarding speculative scenarios, he dismissed such concerns as unrealistic and based on lack of understanding of Pakistan s command and control mechanisms. Kayani said that the Pakistani Armed Forces were a highly professional, motivated and well trained force and were capable of safeguarding and securing nuclear assets against all categories of threat. He said the nation stood behind the armed forces and stressed that creating irresponsible alarm by certain quarters would be counter productive.
