Islamabad terms US sanctions on missile programme as ‘biased’

Hours after the United States announced to impose the additional sanctions related to Pakistan’s ballistic missile programme, Islamabad termed the decision as “biased” stressing that the step from the US has “dangerous implications for strategic stability of our region and beyond”.

Pakistan’s forceful response comes after the US said in a statement, issued on the State Department’s website, that the decision was taken “in light of the continuing proliferation threat of Pakistan’s long-range missile development”.

“Pakistan considers the US decision to impose sanctions on NDC and three commercial entities as unfortunate and biased,” the country’s Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said in a statemued on Thursday.

“Pakistan’s strategic capabilities are meant to defend its sovereignty and preserve peace and stability in South Asia. The latest installment of sanctions defies the objective of peace and security by aiming to accentuate military asymmetries. Such policies have dangerous implications for strategic stability of our region and beyond.”

The Foreign Office stressed that the county’s strategic programme is a sacred trust bestowed by 240 million people upon its leadership, adding that the sanctity of this trust, held in the highest esteem across the entire political spectrum, cannot be compromised.

“We also regret the imposition of sanctions on private commercial entities,” the statement remarked.

It noted that similar listings of commercial entities in the past were based on mere doubts and suspicion without any evidence whatsoever.

While claiming strict adherence to non-proliferation norms, licensing requirement for advanced military technology to other countries have been waived off in the past, it stated.

“Such double standards and discriminatory practices not only undermine the credibility of non-proliferation regimes but also endanger regional and international peace and security,” it added.