05 July 2004	Monday	16 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

ISLAMABAD, July 4: Pakistan on Sunday said it was not worried by India's test of a short-range nuclear capable missile as it was a "sovereign right" for any country to enhance its defence and military capability.

"Both countries (Pakistan and India) do the tests. It is a sovereign right of a country to take any measure for its defence," chairman of Senate foreign relations committee Mushahid Hussain told AFP.

"We reserve the sovereign right to improve our defence capability and same right be granted to other countries," Mr Mushahid said. "We do not take exception to that, any other country can do it also."

Asked if Pakistan was concerned over Sunday's testing of 700 kilometres range surface-to-surface Agni missile by India, he said "absolutely not." "We have a strong deterrent and defence capability," he added.

He said Pakistan stood for a reduction of the arms race and had been "proposing various initiatives based on reciprocity." Early last month, Pakistan successfully test-fired a Hatf V ballistic missile, which has a range of 1,500 kilometres. The missile would be able to carry nuclear warheads deep inside India. The South Asian neighbours held nuclear tests two weeks apart in 1998. -AFP