Pakistan on Wednesday expressed concern over the reported launch of a ballistic missile by North Korea in a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“Such launches constitute a violation of the UN Security Council resolutions. These steps also undermine the goals of peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula, the North-East Asia region and beyond,” the Foreign Office said.

Earlier in the day, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un had announced that his country had achieved full nuclear statehood after what he said was the successful test of a new missile capable of striking anywhere in the United States.

The intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch snapped a two-month pause in testing by the North and poses a new challenge to US President Donald Trump who has vowed such a capability “won't happen”.

The missile was more sophisticated than any previously tested, state media said.

Pakistan continues to call upon the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to comply with its obligations under the Security Council resolutions and to refrain from actions that could lead to an escalation of tensions, the FO said on Wednesday.