According to an army statement, "Pakistan this morning carried out another successful test of the indigenously produced intermediate range Ballistic Missile Hataf V (Ghauri)."

The missile, with a range of 1,500 kilometres (932 miles), was test-fired as "part of a series of tests planned for the Ghauri missile system. The test completely validated all the design parameters."

The Ghauri "can carry nuclear and other warheads," it added.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and senior military officials and scientists witnessed the test at an undisclosed location, and neighbouring states were notified about the test beforehand, it added.

Defense officials said the exercise was not intended as a message to India, and that "wrong signals were being sent" to its large neighbour with whom it is engaged in peace talks.

This was Pakistan's fourth test of a nuclear-capable missile this year, with the the Hatf V tested on May 29 and June 4 and the Shaheen missile on March 9.

The Ghauri, inducted into the Pakistani army last year after a series of tests, is believed to be based on North Korea's Nodong missile.

More reports from Pakistan