Pak army takes control of nuclear-capable missile

Pakistan's army has taken possession of a nuclear-capable ballistic missile, a spokesman said Thursday, a first in the history of the country's nuclear program.

The intermediate-range surface-to-surface Hatf-V missile, known as Ghauri, was presented to President Pervez Musharraf in his capacity as army chief during a formal ceremony at a nuclear research plant on the outskirts of Islamabad on Wednesday.

General Musharraf said it was "a proud day for him to be accepting the Ghauri system on behalf of the Army's Strategic Force Command," military spokesman Major General Rashid Qureshi quoted him as saying.

The Ghauri's induction into the army "would radiate the necessary effects of deterrence," Musharraf said.

With a range of up to 1,500 kilometers (930 miles), the missile is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead deep into Indian territory.

It was handed over by the directors of A.Q. Khan Research Laboratory (KRL), named after Abdul Qadeer Khan, the scientist who developed Pakistan's first nuclear weapon.

"It is the first time a nuclear-capable ballistic missile has been inducted into the army," political observer Mohammad Afzal Niazi told AFP.

The Ghauri was first tested in April 1998, one month before Pakistan and India conducted tit-for-tat underground nuclear tests. It was test-fired again in April 1999 and as tensions between Pakistan and India peaked in May last year.

The missile is named after a Muslim warrior who defeated Indian ruler Prithvi Chauhan in the late 12th century.

The induction ceremony, closed to the media, was attended by top generals, nuclear scientists and engineers. The Ghauri, painted in camouflage khaki and grey colours, was wheeled out of a workshop mounted on a truck and driven past Musharraf and other top brass, military-issued photographs showed.

The KRL laboratory is involved in enrichment of weapons-grade uranium, used to build nuclear weapons, and missile development.

The Dawn newspaper on Wednesday reported that US officials believe Khan initiated contact with North Korea in 1992 to obtain a dozen medium-range Nodong ballistic missiles. Observers say the Ghauri is based on the Nodong.