Pak to create rocket force

Pakistan has announced the creation of a new force — the Army Rocket Force Command — equipped with modern technology and intended to serve as a “milestone” in strengthening its combat capabilities.

PM Shehbaz Sharif made the announcement at an event late on Wednesday night to mark the 79th Independence Day and commemorate the recent four-day military confrontation with India.

“Equipped with modern technology and capable of targeting the enemy from every direction, this force will prove another milestone in further strengthening our war capabilities,” the PM said.

He, however, provided no further details about the new force or its responsibilities.

Pakistan’s new force command is apparently inspired by its all-weather ally China’s People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force, which controls arsenal of land-based ballistic, hypersonic, cruise missiles — both nuclear and conventional.

Pakistan has increased its defence budget by 20 per cent for the current fiscal. Sharif also said that Pakistan had made “unmatched sacrifices” in the war against terrorism, with 90,000 lives lost and over USD 150 billion in economic losses.