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Pak may have nuke heads for M-11 missiles

Pakistan may have nuclear warheads for the M-11 missiles it bought from China several years ago and will soon carry out a second test launch of its new medium-range missile, Ghauri, reported the Washington Times even before Saturday's test. It quoted United States intelligence sources.

''The possibility exists of a nuclear warhead'' for the M-11s in Pakistan, an official said.

The daily said new details of the two nations's arms programmes came as leaders in both countries sought, as they have in the past, to play down growing tensions in the region.

Besides the prospect of Pakistan possessing M-11-capable nuclear warheads, the primary delivery systems for both India and Pakistan are fixed-wing aircraft, such as Pakistan's F-16s and India's MiG-29 and Jaguars, intelligence officials said.

Till recently, the US government has denied that Pakistan had any of the Chinese-made, short-range M-11s in its arsenal, because such an admission would have forced it to trigger economic sanctions against both Pakistan and China, the daily reported.

Both countries were sanctioned by the US in 1991 and 1993 for the sale of M-11 technology.

UNI

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