Islamabad (Web Desk): Pakistan has expressed deep concerns over the assessment of relevant organisations and international experts on the threats resulting from space debris generated by the recently conducted Anti-Satellite weapon (ASAT) test by India test last week in its bid to prove it was among the world's advanced space powers.
The reports that some of the space debris has been pushed above the apogee of the International Space Station (ISS) increasing the risk of collision were deeply worrying, said a statement issued by the Foreign Office.
"Pakistan has noted with deep concern the assessment of relevant organisations and international experts on the threats resulting from space debris generated by the recently conducted Anti-Satellite weapon (ASAT) test by India,” the statement read.
The Foreign Office further said such test should be a matter of grave concern for the international community not only in terms of generation of space debris but also because of its ramifications for long term sustainability of peaceful space activities.
“It would also be amiss to ignore the military dimension of such actions and its implications on the global and regional peace, stability and security,” it stated.
“Pakistan remains a strong proponent of non-militarisation of outer space. We will continue to work with like-minded countries to address gaps in the international legal regime governing the exploration and use of outer space with a view to ensuring that no one threatens peaceful activities and applications of space technologies for socio-economic development. In the absence of strong legal instruments, other states could also follow suit by demonstrating such capabilities,” the FO added.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week said they had shot down a satellite in space with an anti-satellite missile, hailing the test as a major breakthrough in its space programme.
