US doubles down on opposition to Pakistan’s ballistic missile programme

The United States has confirmed it will not support Pakistan’s ballistic missile programme, maintaining its firm stance against the development and proliferation of lethal weapons.

“We have been clear and consistent about our concerns with Pakistan’s ballistic missile program for many years,” US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

“It has been our longstanding policy to deny support to Pakistan’s long-range ballistic missile program, and we will continue to use our sanctions and other – our other tools to ensure our national security cannot be – cannot be impacted, and that the US financial system cannot be used by proliferators,” 

The spokesperson acknowledged that while the US monitors Pakistan’s missile developments closely, it still considers Pakistan a close partner.

“Pakistan has been a long-term partner of ours, and I think what this action shows is that there continue to be places where we have disagreement, and when we have disagreements, we won’t hesitate to act on those to protect America’s interests,” Miller said.

While the US opposes Pakistan’s missile programme, it approaches India’s long-range missiles programme differently. Both Pakistan and India are non-signatories to the non proliferation treaty (NPT).

Islamabad's missile programme is primarily serves as detterence against New Delhi while India continues to upgrade its ballisitc weapons arsenal as a detterence against China.

Recently, the State Department also imposed sanctions on a Chinese research institute, a Chinese national, and three Chinese companies for allegedly aiding in the spread of dangerous weapons.

Miller highlighted that the Chinese institute had allegedly assisted Pakistan in acquiring equipment for its Shaheen 3 and Ababeel missile systems.

Previously, the US State Department imposed sanctions on a Chinese research institute and several companies it said have been involved in supplying Pakistan’s ballistic missile programme.

Washington similarly targeted three China-based companies with sanctions in October 2023 for supplying missile-applicable items to Pakistan.

Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement that the Beijing Research Institute of Automation for Machine Building Industry had worked with Pakistan to procure equipment for testing rocket motors for the Shaheen-3 and Ababeel systems and potentially for larger systems.

The sanctions also targeted China-based firms Hubei Huachangda Intelligent Equipment Co, Universal Enterprise, and Xi’an Longde Technology Development Co, alongside Pakistan-based Innovative Equipment and a Chinese national, for knowingly transferring equipment under missile technology restrictions, Miller said.

“As todays actions demonstrate, the United States will continue to act against proliferation and associated procurement activities of concern, wherever they occur,” Miller said.

Pakistan responded on Saturday saying it was widely known that “some countries, while claiming strict adherence to nonproliferation norms, have conveniently waived licensing requirements for advanced military technologies to their favored states.”

“Such double standards and discriminatory practices undermine the credibility of global nonproliferation regimes, increase military asymmetries, and endanger international peace and security,” it added.