Even though Pakistan’s government and armed forces oppose Israel, they seem reluctant to acquire missiles that can reach it !

A Pakistani journalist reported that Pakistan’s missiles do not have the capability to reach Israel

Islamabad (Pakistan) — Former President Pervez Musharraf reportedly intervened when he learned that scientists were attempting to develop nuclear-capable missiles with the range to reach Israel, and prevented them from proceeding. Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir has claimed that even today, several senior figures in Pakistan oppose extending the range of the country’s missile systems to Israel. The United States is also closely monitoring Pakistan’s missile program and is unlikely to allow it to develop capabilities that could pose a threat to Israel.

Musharraf Opposed Expansion of Missile Capability

Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir stated that Abdul Qadeer Khan had attempted to orient the Ghauri missile toward Israel. He said this information was shared by Dr. Khan himself when asked about his differences with Pervez Musharraf. According to Mir, Dr. Khan explained that when he sought to extend the Ghauri missile’s range to approximately 5,000 kilometres and requested funding for the project, Musharraf questioned the need, reportedly asking whether the intention was to target Israel. He emphasized that India was Pakistan’s primary adversary, and that a range of 1,500 to at most 2,000 kilometres was sufficient.

Mir further claimed that even today, there are individuals in Pakistan who publicly criticize Israeli actions but privately hold a different stance.

Pakistan’s Missile Capabilities

Pakistan possesses a nuclear-capable ballistic missile known as the Ghauri missile. It is a liquid-fuelled, medium-range ballistic missile with a range of approximately 1,300 to 1,500 kilometres. The upgraded Ghauri-II missile has an increased range of about 1,800 to 2,000 kilometres. The distance between Pakistan and Israel exceeds 3,000 kilometres. For instance, the distance from Karachi to Tel Aviv is approximately 3,239 kilometres. From Islamabad to Jerusalem, it is around 3,611 kilometres, while the distance from Lahore to Tel Aviv is about 3,727 kilometres. In contrast, Pakistan’s nuclear-capable missiles such as the Ghauri have a maximum range of only up to about 2,000 kilometres.

Pakistan’s longest-range missile, the Shaheen-III missile, is capable of striking targets up to approximately 2,750 kilometres. This suggests that if launched from western regions such as Balochistan, it may have a limited ability to reach parts of Israel. However, the Shaheen-II missile, with a maximum range of about 2,500 kilometres, cannot reach Israel.