Sat May 03 08:38:57 UTC 2025: ## Pakistan Tests Missile Amid Heightened Tensions with India

**ISLAMABAD, May 3, 2025** – Pakistan announced the successful test launch of its Abdali Weapon System, a surface-to-surface ballistic missile with a 450-km range, on Saturday. The test, part of military exercise INDUS, comes amidst escalating tensions with India following a deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22nd.

The Pakistani government stated the launch aimed to verify the missile’s advanced navigation and maneuverability features, as well as ensure troop readiness. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and military leaders expressed confidence in the nation’s defense capabilities. However, sources in India view the missile test as a significant provocation.

Tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours have soared since the Pahalgam attack, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians, including a Nepalese tourist. A Pakistan-based terror group, Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility. In response to the attack and subsequent revelations of Pakistani links to the terrorism, India severed the Indus Waters Treaty, revoked all Pakistani visas, and banned all imports from Pakistan. Indian waters are also closed to Pakistani flagged vessels.

Further fueling the conflict, Pakistan has engaged in repeated ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and issued provocative statements, including claims of imminent Indian attacks by Information Minister Ataullah Tara and the Defence Minister. Pakistan has threatened to suspend all bilateral agreements with India, including the Simla Agreement, and downgraded diplomatic ties. The escalating situation raises serious concerns about regional stability.

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