ISLAMABAD — On Thursday, Pakistan strongly criticized the recent U.S. sanctions imposed on its ballistic missile program, labeling them as “discriminatory” and a threat to regional peace and security.
The Foreign Ministry of Pakistan issued a statement expressing concern that these sanctions could have severe repercussions on the strategic stability of not only the region but also beyond.
The ministry expressed skepticism regarding U.S. claims that the sanctioned firms were involved in weapon proliferation, asserting that past sanctions were primarily based on suspicion without concrete evidence.
Furthermore, the statement accused the U.S. of exhibiting “double standards” by allowing other nations to bypass licensing requirements for sophisticated military technologies.
The imposed sanctions effectively freeze U.S. assets belonging to the affected companies while prohibiting any business interactions with American entities.
According to the U.S. State Department, one of the targeted organizations, the National Development Complex based in Islamabad, was allegedly involved in procuring materials essential for advancing Pakistan’s long-range ballistic missile capabilities, which includes the SHAHEEN missile series.
Other firms listed in the sanctions include Akhtar and Sons Private Limited, Affiliates International, and Rockside Enterprise.
Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the State Department, shared on the social media platform X that the U.S. has consistently voiced its apprehensions regarding the proliferation of such weapons and intends to maintain a constructive dialogue with Pakistan on these matters.
Analysts indicate that Pakistan’s nuclear and missile initiatives are largely designed to counter perceived threats from India, its neighboring rival.
Security analyst Syed Muhammad Ali characterized the sanctions as short-sighted, destabilizing, and disconnected from the genuine strategic reality of South Asia.
Pakistan declared itself a nuclear power in 1998 after conducting underground nuclear tests as a reaction to similar tests by India. Both nations frequently conduct tests of their short, medium, and long-range missile systems.
The longstanding conflict over Kashmir has led the two countries to engage in two of their three wars since gaining independence from British rule in 1947, with the contested Himalayan territory being wholly claimed by both nations.