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| A display of Shaheen-3 (surface-to-surface) ballistic missiles during a military parade marking Pakistan Day. Islamabad, Pakistan, March 23, 2019 | Photo: Reuters |
Nuclear-armed Pakistan is developing a long-range ballistic missile capability that could eventually allow it to strike targets beyond South Asia, posing an "emerging threat" to the United States, a senior White House official said.
White House Deputy National Security Advisor John Feiner made these remarks on Thursday.
Washington and Islamabad once had close ties. In 2021, US troops were withdrawn from Pakistan's neighboring Afghanistan. John Finer's comments indicate how much relations between Washington and Islamabad have deteriorated since then.
In light of John Finer's statement, questions have also been raised about whether Pakistan has changed the objectives of its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.
Because Islamabad has long said that Pakistan's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs are intended to counter neighboring India.
The states of India and Pakistan were born in 1947. Since then, the two countries have fought several major wars against each other.
Speaking yesterday at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, John Finer said Pakistan is increasingly developing sophisticated missile technology, including long-range ballistic missile systems and other equipment that would enable the country to test significantly larger rocket motors.
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| Pakistan Day military parade. A Pakistani soldier salutes while standing on top of a Pakistani air defense missile system during the parade. Islamabad, Pakistan, March 23, 2022 | Photo: Reuters |
Citing Russia, North Korea and China, the senior Biden administration official said that there are very few countries in the world with nuclear weapons and missiles capable of reaching the United States, and they are Washington's adversaries.
"So frankly, it's hard for Washington to see Pakistan's actions as anything other than an emerging threat to the United States," said John Finer.
Washington announced new sanctions on Wednesday against government agencies and several firms linked to Pakistan's ballistic missile development program.
For the first time, a Pakistani state-run defense agency (National Development Complex-NDC), which oversees related programs, has come under US sanctions.
A day after Washington's move, White House Deputy National Security Advisor John Finner expressed concern about Pakistan's developing long-range missile program, saying that Pakistan was developing long-range missiles that could pose a threat to the United States.
Reuters contacted the Pakistani embassy in the United States for comment on John Finer's statement. The Pakistani embassy did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.