ISLAMABAD:Pakistan conducted on Thursday a training launch of surface-to-surface ballistic missile Ghaznavi, said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a statement."The successful training launch was aimed at ensuring operational readiness of Army Strategic Forces Command, besides re-validating technical parameters of the weapon system," added the military's media wing.

It further said that the training launch was witnessed by Commander Army Strategic Forces Command Lieutenant General Muhammad Ali, senior officers from Strategic Plans Division, Army Strategic Forces Command, scientists and engineers of the strategic organisations.

"Commander Army Strategic Forces Command appreciated the excellent standard of training, handling of the weapon system and execution of launch mission in the field by troops," the communique added.

The president, prime minister, chairman joint chiefs of staff committee and the service chiefs congratulated all the ranks of the Army Strategic Forces Command, scientists and engineers on the successful conduct of today’s launch.

On March 26, the armed forces conducted a successful test launch of the Shaheen 1-A medium-range ballistic missile.It was the fifth missile test by the armed forces since the start of the year, with the launches of Shaheen-3, Ghaznavi, Babur cruise missile, and the Fatah-1 conducted earlier.

The missile spanned a range of 900 kilometers and the test flight was aimed at the re-validating of various design and technical parameters of the weapon system including an advanced navigation system.