ISLAMABAD — Pakistan denied Saturday that its long-range ballistic missile capabilities could potentially strike locations as distant as the United States, asserting that such claims are “unfounded” and “devoid of rationality.” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Baloch made the statement while responding to recent revelations by a senior U.S. White House official regarding the “emerging threat” emanating from Pakistan, a key partner of Washington. “The alleged threat perception from Pakistan’s missile capabilities and delivery means raised by the US official [is] unfortunate,” Baloch said. “We wish to reiterate that Pakistan’s strategic capabilities are meant to defend its sovereignty and preserve peace and stability in South Asia,” she added, apparently referring to her country’s archrival, India. On Thursday, Jon Finer, the Biden administration’s deputy national security adviser, said at a public talk at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace that Islamabad’s missile-making program raises “real questions” about its intentions. “Pakistan has developed increasingly sophisticated missile technology, from long-range ballistic missile systems to equipment that would enable the testing of significantly larger rocket motors,” Finer said. “If these trend lines continue, Pakistan will have the capability to strike targets well beyond South Asia, including in the United States.” Finer spoke a day after Washington announced new sanctions related to Pakistan’s development of ballistic missiles, including on the state-run agency that oversees the program. He stated that over the last year, the Biden administration has issued three rounds of sanctions against non-Pakistani entities, enabling Islamabad to advance its long-range missile systems. Finer emphasized, citing U.S. assessments, that the latest sanctions were directed against the country’s state-owned National Defense Complex developing and producing long-range ballistic missiles. He noted that this was the first time Washington had targeted a Pakistani state-owned enterprise tied to missile development. “The recent spate of U.S. allegations toward a major non-NATO ally would be unhelpful for the overall relationship, especially in the absence of any evidence in this regard,” Baloch said Saturday. “Pakistan has never had any ill intention toward the U.S. in any form or manner, and this fundamental reality has not changed.” Baloch highlighted Islamabad’s long history of cooperation with Washington, particularly in counterterrorism efforts, reiterating Pakistan’s commitment to engaging constructively with the U.S. on all issues, including regional security and stability. “Hence, any irrational assumption of hostile intent from Pakistan by any other country, including the U.S., is perplexing as well as illogical,” she said. In his speech on Thursday, Finer said that U.S. officials have consistently raised concerns with Pakistani counterparts about Islamabad’s efforts to advance its missile development capabilities. “Looking at a map and looking at ranges, we believe that this is fundamentally focused on us, and I think that is an inescapable conclusion based on the information we have got,” Finer said when asked about the motivation behind the missile development systems. “Unfortunately, it is our sense that Pakistan has failed to take U.S. concerns seriously,” Finer said, adding that Washington will continue to keep the pressure on Islamabad to address the U.S. concerns. The United States and Pakistan share a history marked by positive partnerships and more difficult periods. Relations between the two countries have become strained under the Biden administration, a situation further exacerbated by the chaotic U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. Michael Kugelman, who directs the South Asia Institute at Washington’s Wilson Center, said the Biden administration likely doesn’t want to alienate Islamabad. “But the recent U.S. comments and this strong Pakistani rhetorical response put the relationship in a tough spot, especially with the incoming Trump administration likely to be even less receptive to the partnership than the Biden administration,” Kugelman told VOA. While announcing new sanctions on Wednesday, the U.S. State Department said that Pakistan’s Shaheen series of missiles also are among those being developed and produced by the state-owned National Defense Complex. The surface-to-surface Shaheen rocket can carry nuclear warheads to a range of approximately 2,750 kilometers, with experts saying the range enables the solid-fueled, multistage missile to reach targets anywhere in India and parts of the Middle East. Islamabad has consistently maintained that its defense capabilities are meant to deter India from imposing another war on Pakistan. “The technical development of Pakistan’s missile program is primarily aimed at retaining and improving the penetration capabilities of its ballistic missiles against the Indian missile defense forces, which have received major acquisitions and improvements,” Syed Muhammad Ali, a security expert based in Islamabad, told VOA. India and Pakistan conducted their first nuclear weapons tests in May 1998, raising fears another war between the archrivals could escalate into a nuclear exchange in South Asia. The nations have fought three wars, resulting in strained relations and persistent military tensions.
