WASHINGTON – Pakistan’s nuclear armed missile program stirs fears of US security breach, and it led to more sanctions, a senior White House official said.
Washington raised alarms over Pakistan’s growing missile capabilities, warning that South Asian nation is developing long-range ballistic missile systems capable of reaching beyond the southern subregion of Asia, including the US.
Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer sheds light on shifting dynamics of US-Pakistan relations since the US withdrawal from Afghanistan three yeas back. Pakistan’s advancing missile technology is shifting its nuclear deterrence strategy from focusing on India to potentially threatening a broader range, including the United States, and other nations, the official said.
Finer also mentioned that Pakistan’s development of larger rocket motors could soon enable it to strike beyond South Asia. It also raised new concerns, as only few nuclear-armed nations, like Russia, China, and North Korea, currently have the capability to target US.
United States imposed sanctions on four entities linked to Pakistan’s long-range missile development program, including the National Development Complex (NDC), which is involved in developing Pakistan’s SHAHEEN-series ballistic missiles.
The sanctions also target three commercial entities for supplying missile-related equipment.
Pakistan on the other hand condemned the move, calling it biased and harmful to regional peace and stability. Pakistani government emphasized that its strategic capabilities are for national defense and criticized the sanctions as based on suspicion without evidence, accusing the US of double standards in non-proliferation practices.
US imposes sanctions on four entities for ‘contributing to Pakistan’s Ballistic Missile Program’
