NEW DELHI, India — Tensions between India and Pakistan rose another level Friday, with Pakistan announcing it will conduct missile tests this weekend and the release of a letter from India's prime minister to President Bush saying his nation is running out of patience.


India and Pakistan routinely test their missiles, and notify each other according to an agreement designed to avoid misunderstandings that might lead to an unintended conflict.

"We have notified neighboring countries, including India, about these tests," Pakistan's Information Secretary Anwar Mahmood said in Islamabad. "We have also informed India that these tests have nothing to do with the current situation." In New Delhi, Indian foreign ministry spokeswoman Nirupama Rao said the tests are "routine and not central to the current situation."

Mahmood did not give test dates, nor did he specify missile types. However, Indian officials said Islamabad had said that the tests would be with short- and medium-range missiles and would run Saturday through Monday