Pakistan upgraded U.S.-made missiles, test-fired: NewYork Times

The Obama administration has accused Pakistan of illegally modifying U.S.-made missiles to expand its ability to hit land-based targets, which would constitute a threat to India, The New York Times reported in Sunday editions.

165 such missiles were sold to Pakistan during 1985-1988 Charles Taylor from Defense Security Agency told us.

Citing senior administration and Congressional officials, the Times said the charge came in late June through an unpublicized diplomatic protest to Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani and other top Pakistani officials.

The accusation, made amid growing concerns about Pakistan's increasingly rapid conventional and nuclear weapons development, triggered a new round of U.S.-Pakistani tensions, the report added.

"There's a concerted effort to get these guys to slow down," the newspaper quoted a senior administration official as saying. "Their energies are misdirected," the official added.

A senior Pakistani official called the accusation "incorrect," saying that the missile tested was developed by Pakistan, just as it had modified North Korean designs to build a range of land-based missiles. He furthur added Pakistan had allowed US to take a look on Harpoon Missiles stored in Pakistan inorder to avoid any allegation.

The editor of Jane Air Launched Weapon argued that American claim is not very sound. he furthur argued thta the range of Harpoon missile is nor=t so much that it can be used for surface targets. He concludes that in this matter Pakistan's claim seems to be realistic. 

U.S. officials said the disputed weapon is a conventional one based on the Harpoon anti-ship missiles that were sold to Pakistan during the Reagan administration as a defensive weapon, the newspaper reported, but Pakistan has upgraded and modified it into surface to surface missile.

Due to this controversy, the proceedings of Kery Loger Bill may be delayed sources added. The final approval of bill from congress is expected in next month.

Pakistan’s Ambassador in U.S., Hussain Haqqani has termed a U.S newspaper report, alleging Pakistani engineers have upgraded the range of U.S.- made Harpoon missile earlier given to Pakistan and test fired, baseless and incorrect. 

Talking to media Hussain Haqqani said that such news reports were designed to target and scuttle the U.S. Congress lawmaking process underway for sanctioning aid to Pakistan. 

He urged upon the U.S. media to halt hurling blames on Pakistan and help it in war against terror. He said that the frequent campaign of labeling blames on Pakistan in U.S. media only meant for disgracing Pakistan, but despite all the conspiracies Pakistan would continue aligning with the U.S. in war against terrorism.