The missile research and development program was the Pakistan Ministry of Defence secretive program for the comprehensive research and the development of guided missiles. Initiatives began in 1987 in a direct response to equivalent program existed in India and was managed under the scrutiny of the Ministry of Defence in close coordination with the other related institutions.
On moral grounds, no chemical weapons were developed as the program focused towards developing the short to medium range missiles with a proper computer guidance system. The project started in 1987 and has since spawned several strategic missile systems capable of carrying both conventional and nonconventional payloads. In its early stage, the Hatf missiles were made feasible as well as developing the Ghauri missile program. Further development led to the introduction of ballistics and cruise missiles by different scientific organizations in the 2000s.