A senior White House official said Pakistan is an “emerging threat” to the United States because it is developing long-range ballistic missiles that can reach targets beyond South Asia.
At a Carnegie Endowment for International Peace event on Thursday, US Vice President for National Security John Finer said Pakistan was advancing its missile technology in increasingly “sophisticated” ways.
If these trends continue, Finer said, Pakistan will have the ability to attack targets far beyond South Asia, including the United States.
“Frankly, it’s hard to see Pakistan’s actions as anything other than a new threat to the United States,” he added.
Pakistan slams sanctions as ‘biased’
Two senior government officials told Reuters that U.S. concerns about Pakistan’s missile program stem from the size of the rocket engines being built.
Feiner’s remarks came a day after the United States announced new sanctions related to Pakistan’s ballistic missile development.
Including the National Defense Agency, which oversees the program.
The United States said this “takes into consideration the continued proliferation threat posed by Pakistan’s long-range missile development.”
Pakistan called the sanctions “lopsided”, warned of the impact on regional stability, and accused the United States of double standards in its arms policy.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry criticized the United States for exempting other countries from licensing requirements for advanced military technology.
“Such double standards and discriminatory practices not only undermine the credibility of the non-proliferation regime but also endanger regional and international peace and security,” the report said.
ss/lo (AP, AFP, Reuters)
