Pakistan announced on 5 July that its military has conducted a successful test of NASR high-precision short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile. NASR missiles has a range of 70 kilometers and capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. The solid fueled tactical ballistic missile system, also called Hatf IX, was developed by National Development Complex (NDC) of Pakistan. 

The current Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army General Qamar Javed Bajwa said that Pakistan will go to any lengths to ensure regional peace and stability and underlined the missiles are meant to stress that war is not an option, adding that Pakistan's strategic capability is a guarantee of peace against a highly militarized and belligerent neighbor.