Islamabad: Pakistan on Monday expressed “deep concern” over the threats resulting from space debris generated by the recently conducted Anti-Satellite weapon (ASAT) test by India.”The reports that some of the space debris created by this test has been pushed above the apogee of the International Space Station (ISS), increasing the risk of collision are deeply worrying,” Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement.
It said that, as such, this ASAT 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 “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,” the statement added. 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, the statement said.
The statement further warned that in the absence of strong legal instruments, other states could also follow suit by demonstrating such capabilities. On March 27, India successfully tested an anti-satellite missile by shooting down its own decommissioned satellite that was on a ‘Low Earth Orbit’ at a height of 300 kilometres from the earth’s surface.
Making the announcement about the test, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India’s feat is only for its own defence needs and not for use against any country. Prime Minister Modi had also assured the international community that this test does not violate any international treaties or law and that India remains committed against the arms race in space.
