Pakistan condemns India missile test

Pakistan has criticised India for its latest test-firing of a short-range surface-to-air missile, its second missile test in a month.

Pakistani Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed described the test as a bad omen for peace and stability in the South Asian region.

The surface-to-air Akash missile has a range of 25 kilometres, and was launched from a mobile launch-pad in eastern India.

The missile test earlier this month was of the longer-range Agni-1, which is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.

The United States said it was disappointed by that launch, which it said would make it harder to prevent a destabilising arms race in the region.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service