Islamabad, Pakistan – On the eve of Pakistan’s 78th Independence Day, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the formation of a new Army Rocket Force Command (ARFC) that he said would “have modern technology and capability to strike the enemy from every direction”.“It will further enhance our conventional warfare capabilities,” Sharif said during an August 13 event in Islamabad.“Enemy” in Pakistan is code for India, Pakistan’s nuclear-armed neighbour and rival, which a week later would test-fire its Agni-V intermediate-range ballistic missile, with a top range of 5,000km (3,100 miles).Most analysts have dismissed any connection between the Agni testing, which took place from the integrated test range in India’s eastern state of Odisha off the Bay of Bengal, and the formation of the ARFC.But the ARFC’s creation follows a tense four-day conflict between Pakistan and India in May, during which the two sides exchanged air strikes, missile fire and drone attacks on each other’s military installations. Experts say the conflict exposed holes in Pakistan’s strategic deterrence, which for almost three decades has now relied on the country’s nuclear weapons – and an ambiguous posture over when it might use them.The establishment of a dedicated rocket force also reflects a wider global trend. Recent wars, including those between Ukraine and Russia and Israel’s confrontations with Iran and Hezbollah, have underscored the growing …
