Sanctions on Pakistan’s missile program not meant to ‘color other areas of cooperation’: US State Dept

The United States has said that its decision of imposing new sanctions related to nuclear-armed Pakistan’s long-range ballistic-missile program was not meant to “color the other areas of cooperation” between the two countries.

During a press briefing, United States Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said that the US is committed to maintaining the global nonproliferation regime, and Pakistan is an important partner in that.

“However, we have been clear and consistent about our concerns with Pakistan’s long-range ballistic missile program.

It is longstanding US policy to deny support to Pakistan’s long-range ballistic missile program,’’ he said.

On Wednesday, the US said it was imposing new sanctions related to nuclear-armed Pakistan’s long-range ballistic-missile programme, including on the state-owned defense agency that oversees the program.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement that the measures slapped on the National Development Complex and three firms were imposed under an executive order that “targets proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery.”

In response, Pakistan termed the decision to impose sanctions on National Development Complex and three commercial entities as “unfortunate and biased”.

In a statement, the Foreign Office (FO) said 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 ministry said.

“We also regret the imposition of sanctions on private commercial entities. Similar listings of commercial entities in the past were based on mere doubts and suspicion without any evidence whatsoever,” the FO said.

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

Meanwhile, Patel said that the Department of State will continue to use sanctions and other tools to protect “our national security” and ensure that US exporters and US financial systems “cannot be abused by proliferators”

“And it’s our hope to continue to engage constructively with the Pakistani Government on these issues,” he replied.

While answering a question, the US official said that these sanctions that US made in Pakistan are rooted in “our longstanding concerns about their long-range ballistic missile program”.

“It is not a bearing on other areas of cooperation between us and Pakistan.”