EDITORIAL: Great Day for Pakistan
By the Editor

BEAMING a charismatic news for the nation, Pakistan has successfully test fired its first indigenously built 500 kilometers range cruise missile capable of carrying nuclear and conventional warheads.

The missile, test fired this morning has been named Babar. It can be fired from ground, submarine, ship and warplane.

As the ISPR chief Major Gen Shaukat Sultan says; all parameters of the missile have been found to the mark.

President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz have congratulated Pakistani scientists and engineers for this great feat. It’s really a great day for the Pakistani nation as it has entered into the cruise missile era.

The Pakistani scientists and engineers deserve kudos for their commitment, hard work and ability that has helped them transcend Pakistan into the cruise missile era after the ballistic missile capability.

They have rendered yeoman’s services to the nation by warding off the threat to its security and sovereignty by indigenously producing ballistic and cruise missiles.
Bravo. Keep it up.

Pakistan has no military ambitions nor does it want to enter into arms race with any country. It is scrupulously following this policy in the interest of peace, security and stability in the region.

It cannot, however, be expected to ignore its security imperatives in view of the objective conditions of the South Asian region.

By all pragmatism, it has to maintain minimum deterrence in nuclear and conventional fields to ensure national security and sovereignty. It cannot afford to be complacent in the context of national security in view of its bitter past experience.

There should, however, be no cause for alarm on Pakistan’s ability to build cruise missile.

Pakistan has proven by its conduct over the past half a century that it has no aggressive designs against any country. Its priority is to ward off threat to its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Interestingly, India too has the cruise missile but its range is less than that of Babar. Understandably, Babar has some distinct parameters that make it more effective.

It can fly along the ground and hit the target with precision. It’s a matter of satisfaction that the Government is alive to the security needs and has kept its scientists and engineers engaged in maintaining credible deterrence in the interest of peace in the region.

We have always emphasized the need for vigilance against the cunningness of our traditional enemy. With this perception, we cannot obviously afford to lower our guards in any mode, manner or style.● 

 -  Mumtaz Hamid Rao
www.MumtazRao.net