Pakistan on Friday successfully test-fired Ghauri, a nuclear-capable ballistic missile.

It was the second such test in less than a week.

According to a military statement, President Pervez Musharraf, who witnessed the launch, said, "The test is not intended to send any political signals outside the country, but is necessary for validation of technical parameters."

Musharraf said that Pakistan's nuclear weapons and missile programme "is rightly seen as the cornerstone of the nation's security policy", according to the statement.