"We have calculated our defence requirements. We have the capability to end a war on a favourable note," said Pakistan's chief of army staff, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, after the launch of Ghauri-II and Shaheen misiles. Gen. Musharraf said the army would have the central command system for its nuclear and missile arsenal in place within a month. "No other South Asian country has the frontline technology used in Shaheen- 1, built indigenously," adds Dr Samar Mubarakmand, top nuclear scientist.
PLO leader Yasser Arafat, in Islamabad during the Ghauri-II launch, described it as "another achievement for the Islamic ummah." Arafat was earlier in India seeking support for an independent Palestine.
Analysts here concede that Atal Behari Vajpayee ordered the Agni-II test-firing as a last-ditch bid to prolong his stay in power. The Indian premier had become popular in Pakistan after the bus ride to Lahore, but, notes columnist M.H. Askari, " there's nothing to suggest that by firing a missile, he can stabilise his own position. He may draw a few fanatics to his side, but can't assuage his political opposition."
Defence analyst Shireen Mazari believes that by testing Agni-II, New Delhi is "saying that it's now not only a nuclear state but also capable of launching N-weapons. India's power projection goes beyond the subcontinent." Some saw it as a necessary prod for a too-cautious Pakistan; others called Ghauri-II a painful choice. Either way, it showed that the missile race can move faster than bus diplomacy.
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