• Pakistan condemned new US sanctions on its ballistic missile program as “discriminatory,” warning they threaten regional stability.
• US officials labeled Pakistan’s advanced missile development as a potential “emerging threat” capable of striking beyond South Asia.
Pakistan has vehemently criticises the newly imposed US sanctions on its ballistic missile program, labelling them as “discriminatory” and asserting that they jeopardise the region’s peace and stability.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs cautioned that the sanctions “have dangerous implications for strategic stability of our region and beyond.” The ministry also challenged the credibility of the US allegations, contending that the accusations against the targeted entities were rooted in “mere doubts and suspicion without any evidence whatsoever.”
Furthermore, Pakistan condemned what it described as the United States’ “double standards,” pointing out the waiver of licensing requirements for advanced military technology to other nations. The sanctions, which freeze any US-based assets of the targeted entities and prohibit Americans from engaging in business with them, were seen as an extension of these alleged inconsistencies.
The US Department of State highlighted that one of the sanctioned entities, the Islamabad-based National Development Complex, was involved in procuring materials for Pakistan’s long-range ballistic missile program, including the SHAHEEN series of missiles. Other entities facing sanctions include Akhtar and Sons Private Limited, Affiliates International, and Rockside Enterprise.
These measures come on the heels of similar sanctions imposed months earlier on other foreign entities, including a Chinese research institute, for allegedly collaborating with the National Development Complex in advancing Pakistan’s ballistic missile program.
Pakistan has been a declared nuclear power since 1998, following underground nuclear tests conducted in response to India’s own tests. Both nations frequently conduct missile tests involving short-, medium-, and long-range systems.
The So-Called Emerging Threat to the US
Speaking later on Thursday, Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer said he had concerns over Pakistan’s evolving missile capabilities, suggesting they could pose a direct threat to the United States. Addressing an audience at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Finer remarked that Islamabad’s activities raised “real questions” about the intentions behind its ballistic missile development.
“Candidly, it’s hard for us to see Pakistan’s actions as anything other than an emerging threat to the United States,” Finer stated. He further noted Pakistan’s advancements in missile technology, including long-range systems and the development of equipment for testing larger rocket motors.
“If these trends persist,” Finer said, “Pakistan will have the capability to strike targets well beyond South Asia, including in the United States.”
