Pakistan is set to establish a new military division focused on overseeing its missile combat capabilities amid ongoing conventional warfare, a move aimed at matching the military strength of its neighbor, India.
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif announced the formation of this missile unit during a ceremony in Islamabad, which was centered around the recent conflict with India, the worst in decades, that occurred last May.
The event took place just a day before Pakistan’s 78th Independence Day.
In a statement from his office, Sharif mentioned that the new unit “will be equipped with advanced technology,” adding that it will represent a significant enhancement of the Pakistani army’s combat capabilities.
Further details were not disclosed. However, a senior security official indicated that this unit will have its own command within the army and will be specifically designated for handling and deploying missiles in the event of a conventional war.
He stated, “It is clear that it has been established to respond to India.” Both nuclear-armed nations continue to modernize their military capabilities amid a long-standing rivalry that dates back to their independence from British rule in 1947.
Tensions escalated recently in April after 26 civilians were killed in the Indian-administered region of Kashmir, an attack that India attributed to Islamabad.
Pakistan has denied any involvement. Subsequently, fighting erupted in May, marking the most intense clashes between the two countries in decades, featuring the use of missiles, drones, and fighter jets, before a ceasefire was brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump.