FO rejects US DNI's claims

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan on Thursday firmly rejected allegations made by the US Director of National Intelligence regarding its missile capabilities, terming them "baseless" and reiterating that its strategic programme is solely defensive in nature.

US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard had listed Pakistan among states that pose a significant threat to the United States, warning US lawmakers that Islam­abad's evolving missile capabilities could potentially put the American homeland within range.

Responding to media queries, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Pakistan's missile capabilities are designed to safeguard national sovereignty and ensure peace and stability in South Asia.

He emphasized that Pakistan's missile programme remains well within regional parameters and is guided by the doctrine of credible minimum deterrence, particularly in relation to India.

The spokesperson highlighted that, unlike Pakistan, India has developed missile systems with ranges exceeding 12,000 kilometres, describing this trajectory as extending beyond regional security needs and raising concerns for the wider international community.

Rejecting the assertion of any potential threat posed by Pakistan, Andrabi underscored that the country's strategic posture is responsible and restrained, aimed at maintaining a balance of power in the region.

He further stated that Pakistan remains committed to constructive engagement with the United States, stressing the need for mutual respect, non-discrimination, and factual accuracy in bilateral discourse.

The spokesperson urged a more measured and informed approach to South Asia's strategic environment, noting that such an approach is essential for promoting lasting peace, security, and stability in the region.

Earlier on Thursday, former caretaker foreign minister Jalil Abbas Jilani had also dismissed Gabbard's statement.

In a post on X, the former foreign minister maintained that the assertion that the "US Homeland is within range of Pakistan's nuclear/con missiles is not grounded in strategic reality".

He said that Pakistan's nuclear doctrine was "India-specific, aimed at maintaining credible deterrence in South Asia, not projecting power globally".

On Wednesday, Gabbard, presenting the 2026 Annual Threat Assessment before the United States Senate Intelligence Comm­ittee said, "Russia, China, North Korea, Iran and Pakistan have been researching and developing an array of novel, advanced, or traditional missile delivery systems with nuclear and conventional payloads, that put our Homeland within range."

"Pakistan's long-range ballistic missile development potentially could include ICBMs with the range capable of striking the Homeland," she said.

Gabbard said that the nations identified in the threat assessment report "will likely seek to understand US plans for advanced missile defence… for the purpose of shaping their own missile development programmes and assessing US intentions regarding deterrence."

She said the intelligence community foresees a sharp rise in missile threats over the next decade. "Threats to the Homeland will expand collectively to more than 16,000 missiles by 2035, from the current assessed figure of more than 3,000 missiles."