FO rubbishes 'unfounded' US missile threat claims

ISLAMABAD:

Islamabad on Saturday vehemently rejected as "unfounded, devoid of rationality and sense of history" a claim by a senior official in President Joe Biden's administration that Pakistan's missile program was an "emerging threat" to the United States.

"The alleged threat perception from Pakistan's missile capabilities and delivery means, raised by the US official are unfortunate," read a statement issued by the Foreign Office spokesperson, who also stressed that Pakistan does not harbour any "ill-intention" towards the United States.

The statement came two days after US Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer said that the nuclear-armed Pakistan was developing long-range ballistic missile capabilities that eventually could allow it to strike targets well beyond South Asia, making it an "emerging threat" to the United States.

Speaking at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Finer said Pakistan has pursued "increasingly sophisticated missile technology, from long-range ballistic missile systems to equipment that would enable the testing of significantly larger rocket motors."

If those trends continue, Finer said, "Pakistan will have the capability to strike targets well beyond South Asia, including in the United States." The number of nuclear-armed states with missiles that can reach the US homeland "is very small and they tend to be adversarial," he continued, naming Russia, North Korea, and China.

"So, candidly, it's hard for us to see Pakistan's actions as anything other than an emerging threat to the United States," Finer said. His speech came a day after Washington announced a new round of sanctions related to Pakistan's ballistic missile development program, including for the first time against the state-run defence agency that oversees the program.

"These allegations are unfounded, devoid of rationality and sense of history," said Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch. Since 1954, Pakistan and the US have enjoyed a positive and broad-ranging relationship, she added.

"The recent spate of US allegations towards a major non-NATO ally would be unhelpful for the overall relationship, especially in the absence of any evidence in this regard. Pakistan has never had any ill-intention towards the US in any form or manner, and this fundamental reality has not changed," she added.

On the contrary, the spokesperson added that Pakistan had made monumental sacrifices for this relationship and continues to suffer hugely in sustaining the onslaught of the aftermath of US policies in the region.

"It is regrettable that the US official alluded to bracketing Pakistan with those who are perceived to be in an adversarial relationship with the US," the spokesperson further said.

"While ignoring and shielding the manifestations of a much more potent missile capability in our eastern neighbourhood, concerns on Pakistani capabilities are being raised seemingly at the behest of others to further accentuate the already fragile strategic stability in the region."

"We wish to reiterate that Pakistan's strategic capabilities are meant to defend its sovereignty and preserve peace and stability in South Asia. Pakistan cannot abdicate its right to develop capabilities that commensurate with the need to maintain credible minimum deterrence as well as evolving and dynamic threats," the statement read.

The Pakistani reaction also provided insight into the closed-door discussions on the issue. The statement noted that since 2012 when US officials started broaching the subject, different Pakistani governments, leadership and officials, have endeavoured from time to time, to positively address and remove the misplaced US concerns.

Moreover, Pakistan also made it abundantly clear that our strategic programme and allied capabilities are solely meant to deter and thwart a clear and visible existential threat from our neighbourhood and should not be perceived as a threat to any other country. "Hence, any irrational assumption of a hostile intent from Pakistan by any other country including the US is perplexing as well as illogical," the spokesperson stressed.

"In view of the profound sanctity of strategic programme for the people of Pakistan and for the country's defense, our clear iterations and manifestation of intent and purpose thereof, any attempt to seek intrusion into it, in any form or manner, on any pretext whatsoever, is neither thinkable nor possible."

"There is unshakeable resolve and complete consensus on this aspect across the entire political and social spectrum of the country," the statement said.

It said Pakistan had always sought to engage constructively with the US on all issues, including the need to pursue a balanced approach to security and stability in our region. "We have a long history of cooperation and wish to build on this strong legacy."