A senior White House official has expressed concerns over Pakistan’s development of long-range ballistic missile capabilities, which could potentially target regions beyond South Asia, including the United States.
Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer called Pakistan’s actions an “emerging threat,” raising questions about its strategic intentions.
The remarks come as the US State Department imposed new sanctions on four entities linked to Pakistan’s ballistic missile program. These entities, including Pakistan’s National Development Complex, were sanctioned under Executive Order 13382, which targets proliferators of weapons of mass destruction.
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The sanctioned entities are accused of supplying missile-applicable items and advancing Pakistan’s long-range missile capabilities.
Pakistan strongly condemned the sanctions, terming them “biased” and warning of their “dangerous implications for regional and global strategic stability.” The Foreign Office emphasized that Pakistan’s missile program is intended to preserve peace and sovereignty in South Asia.
The sanctions follow a pattern of US measures targeting Pakistan’s missile-related activities. In September, Washington sanctioned five entities and an individual for supplying equipment for Pakistan’s Shaheen-3 and Ababeel missile systems.
Similar sanctions were imposed in October on three Chinese firms and a Chinese national for transferring missile technology to Pakistan.
Pakistan has consistently rejected these actions as “unfair” and “politically motivated,” stressing that its strategic programs are a matter of national security and are developed in accordance with international law.
