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Pakistan on Friday reacted strongly to the test-firing of Agni-3 missile by India, saying it threatened regional stability, even as New Delhi asserted that it was convinced about the "legitimacy of the test".
A foreign office statement in Islamabad said Pakistan had taken note of the development and also wanted the international community to take notice of the "Indian behaviour".
Stating that Pakistan favoured a policy of restraint, it said: "We hope the international community will take note of this Indian behaviour, which is prejudicial to the pursuit of stability in our region, especially during the current situation."
"The test comes at a time of tensions, when the Indian forces are massed on our borders... On its part, Pakistan favours a policy of restraint in the region," it added.
The statement also said that Pakistan had the means to defend itself.
New Delhi, meanwhile, dismissed fears that the missile test would aggravate tensions in the region.
External affairs ministry spokeswoman Nirupama Rao said the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, besides Germany, France and Pakistan, were informed of the test "over the last two days".
The test was "part of our efforts to evaluate the indigenisation capability to guarantee a credible minimum nuclear deterrence. We are perfectly convinced about the legitimacy of the missile test", she said.
"We have conducted this test in an extremely transparent way. We have been completely clear on why we thought it necessary to conduct this test at the moment," the spokeswoman told reporters.
She said the test of the "little less than 700 km" range missile was undertaken "in a non-provocative manner across international waters and in accordance with international practice".
Asked if Pakistan would not take this as a threat, she said: "This is not directed against any country. This is part of the technological evolution of our missile programme and its timing was determined solely by technical factors."
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