Pakistan slams US sanctions on ballistic missile programme, calls them ‘discriminatory’ The US sanctions come in light of the continuing proliferation threat of Pakistan’s long-range missile development. :-The Indian Express

 

Just two days after the United States slapped sanctions on four Pakistani entities on charges of them contributing to Pakistan’s ballistic missile programme, the latter condemned the move, labelling them as “discriminatory” and warning of potential risks to regional peace and security.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a strong statement on Thursday, cautioning that the sanctions could have “dangerous implications for the strategic stability of our region and beyond”, as reported by Al-Jazeera.

The US sanctions, which come in light of the continuing proliferation threat of Pakistan’s long-range missile development, froze all US-based assets belonging to targeted Pakistani businesses and prohibited American entities from engaging in trade with them.

According to the US Department of State, one of the sanctioned organisations, the Islamabad-based National Development Complex (NDC), was involved in acquiring materials for Pakistan’s long-range ballistic missile programme, which includes the SHAHEEN series. Three other entities—Akhtar and Sons Private Limited, Affiliates International, and Rockside Enterprise—were also sanctioned for their alleged involvement in weapons proliferation.

In its response, Pakistan’s foreign ministry dismissed the allegations as baseless. “These sanctions are based on mere doubts and suspicion without any evidence whatsoever,” the ministry said, adding that such actions reflect “double standards,” especially when the US grants waivers for advanced military technologies to other nations, Al-Jazeera reported.

The sanctions follow similar measures imposed earlier this year on foreign entities, including a Chinese research institute, accused of supporting the programme.

‘Emerging threat to the US’

Jon Finer, the US Deputy National Security Adviser, has also raised concerns about Pakistan’s advancing missile technology. Speaking at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Finer stated that Islamabad’s long-range ballistic missile capabilities could potentially threaten targets outside South Asia, including the United States, news agency Reuters reported.

“Candidly, it’s hard for us to see Pakistan’s actions as anything other than an emerging threat to the United States,” Finer remarked. He also noted that the country has pursued “increasingly sophisticated missile technology, from long-range ballistic missile systems to equipment, that would enable the testing of significantly larger rocket motors,” Reuters quoted.

“If these trends continue,” Finer warned, “Pakistan will have the capability to strike targets well beyond South Asia, including in the United States.”

Pakistan as a nuclear power

Pakistan, which became a nuclear power in 1998 following its first nuclear weapons tests—more than 20 years after India’s first test blast—has long maintained a robust missile development programme.According to estimates by The Bulletin of the American Scientists research organization, Pakistan has a stockpile of about 170 warheads, the Reuters report stated.