10/12/2004 10:24:00 AM GMT

Pakistan test-fired on Tuesday a medium-range ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads, part of the countrys efforts to enforce its defence, a military statement said.

"Pakistan this morning carried out another successful test of the indigenously produced intermediate range Ballistic Missile Hatf V (Ghauri)," a military statement said.

The Hatf-V missile of the Ghauri series has a maximum range of 1,500 kilometers (932 miles), the military said. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz watched the missile testing, it said.

The Hatf V (Ghauri), with a range of 1,500 kilometers (932 miles), was test-fired as "part of a series of tests planned for the Ghauri missile system."

"The test completely validated all the design parameters," the statement said, adding the Ghauri "can carry nuclear and other warheads."

The Hatf V was tested twice before, on May 29 and June 4 this year. Also the long-range Shaheen missile was successfully tested on March 9.

The missile, last tested on June 4, ''has highly refined guidance and control systems and superior technology capable of achieving the greatest accuracy,'' the Army said in the statement.

Pakistan informed its neighbors including India, in advance about the tests, the army said.

The tests this year have been seen less as sabre-rattling against India, with whom Pakistan is negotiating a peace process.

Analysts view Pakistans testing such missiles as a way to placate domestic fears that the nuclear proliferation scandal surrounding top nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan would force Pakistan to halt its nuclear program.

"Fears about the roll back of Pakistan's nuclear program will never go away," the former head of Pakistan's military spy agency ISI, retired lieutenant general Hameed Gul told reporters.

"Israel does not want a Muslim state to possess nuclear weapons," he said.

"The test also coincides with the fifth anniversary of General Musharraf in power," Military analyst and retired general Talat Masood said.

When asked if Pakistan would roll-back its nuclear and missile programs under the U.S. pressure over the proliferation scandal, and under peace negotiations with India, President Pervez Musharraf in July foreshadowed an "extremely important substantive" missile test during the coming months.

"This would be a great test," he told reporters at the time.

The two nuclear powers, Pakistan and India have successfully tested a series of missiles since 2002 when the two countries came close to a fourth war. They engaged in three wars since independence from Britain in 1947.

Pakistan and India started taking steps to mend relations since April last year. Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh agreed on resolving all key issues between the South Asian neighbors in a meeting in New York last month.