India sees Pak missile test plan as provocation

India perceives Pakistan's preparations to conduct a ballistic missile test amid tensions over the Pahalgam terror attack as a "reckless act of provocation and a dangerous escalation", people familiar with the matter said on Friday.

- Rezaul H Laskar

The proposed missile test is in line with other actions taken by Pakistan in recent days, including ramping up naval exercises in the Arabian Sea and numerous ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) and the international border in Jammu and Kashmir, the people said, on the condition of anonymity.

Tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated dramatically since the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people, mostly tourists. India announced a slew of punitive measures against Pakistan over "cross-border linkages" to the attack, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and the closure of the only operational land border crossing at Attari.

"It is learnt that Pakistan is preparing to test-fire surface-tosurface ballistic missiles this week," one of the people cited above said.

"This is a reckless act of provocation and a dangerous escalation in its hostile campaign against India," the person said.

The planned missile test, under such "volatile conditions", is nothing short of a "blatant provocation" and a "desperate attempt to whip up tensions with India", the person said.