India, May 3 -- Hours after Indian authorities said that Pakistan's plans to test a ballistic missile would be seen as a "reckless act of provocation", the Pakistani military on Saturday conducted a launch of the Abdali surface-to-surface ballistic missile with a range of 450 km.

The launch was "aimed at ensuring the operational readiness of troops" and "validating key technical parameters, including the missile's advanced navigation system and enhanced manoeuvrability features", Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) or the military's media arm said in a statement.

The Abdali is a land-based tactical ballistic missile that is already in service with Pakistan's strategic forces. Though the ISPR statement didn't provide furthe...