Did Pakistan secretly test a hypersonic ballistic missile last week? Khwaja Asif says 'ask such things in private'

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Friday (Oct 31) sidestepped questions on the nation's alleged testing of a hypersonic ballistic missile. The Pakistani minister avoided confirming or denying whether the country had recently tested the missile, and instead told reporters such questions should not be discussed publicly. "Now don't ask all these questions. Ask such things in private," Asif said during an interview on Samaa TV's talk show Mere Sawal. The host had asked him to comment on widespread speculation that Pakistan might have carried out a secret missile test earlier in the week.

Did Pakistan conduct a secret missile test?

The speculation began after residents of Quetta and nearby areas in Balochistan spotted a strange "rare lenticular cloud formation" in the early hours of Tuesday (Oct 28). Many shared photos and videos online, describing it as an unusual sight that appeared just before sunrise. The cloud’s sharp, saucer-like shape led to theories ranging from a military test to an unidentified flying object.

When asked about the matter earlier in the week, Asif had brushed off the rumours as mere speculation. Still, his reluctance to respond directly during the television interview has kept the debate alive.

"Lenticular clouds" or missile?

The Pakistan Meteorological Department later stepped in to clarify what people had seen. In a post on X, it said the formation was a "lenticular cloud" that appeared over the Koh-i-Murdar mountain range near Quetta. The cloud, the department said, lasted for about 20 minutes before fading away with the sunrise. "The cloud appeared before sunrise, persisted for approximately 20 minutes, and dissipated just prior to sunrise," it said.

Lenticular clouds are a rare weather phenomenon often mistaken for UFOs because of their smooth, lens-like shape. According to the UK’s Met Office, they form when stable air flows over hills or mountains and creates standing waves in the atmosphere. Moisture condenses at the crest of these waves, forming layered, saucer-shaped clouds that look strikingly artificial. "These strange, unnatural-looking clouds sometimes form downwind of hills or mountains … They look a lot like the traditional shape of flying saucers in science fiction," the Met Office notes, adding that such formations have often been mistaken for unidentified flying objects.