By IPS Correspondents
ISLAMABAD, Feb 13 2003 (IPS)

Pakistan condemned India’s testing of an anti-ship cruise missile, saying it would usher in a new era of arms race and add to tension between the two nuclear rivals, the state-owned Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported Thursday.

The agency quoted Pakistan’s Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed as saying the test was a "sign of extremism that should be noted by the world community".

India successfully tested on Wednesday the supersonic Brahmos missile, capable of striking targets in Pakistan, which has been developed jointly with Russia. This was the first time that it was tested from a ship.

India also tested a variant of its nuclear-weapon-compatible, intermediate range ballistic missile Agni-I last month, which has a range of up to 700 km.

Rashid said the test showed India’s desire to dominate the region but added, "India is greatly mistaken that it can achieve hegemonic designs through such orchestrations".

He said it was in the interests of both nations that they should sit together and discuss all outstanding issues including the Kashmir dispute which was the bone of contention between the two south Asian states.

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