Pakistan developing missiles that eventually could hit US, says White House official

WASHINGTON: A senior White House official on Thursday said nuclear-armed Pakistan is developing long-range ballistic missile capabilities that eventually could allow it to strike targets outside of South Asia, including the United States.

Deputy national security adviser Jon Finer said Islamabad’s conduct raised “real questions” about its intentions.

“Candidly, it’s hard for us to see Pakistan’s actions as anything other than an emerging threat to the United States,” Finer said in a speech to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

The latest statement comes only a day after the US State Department said it was imposing additional sanctions related to Pakistan’s ballistic missile programme, targeting four entities that it said were contributing to the proliferation or delivery of such weapons.

The statement, issued on the State Department’s website, said that the decision was taken “in light of the continuing proliferation threat of Pakistan’s long-range missile development”.

It added that the four entities were being designated for sanctions pursuant to Executive Order (EO) 13382, which targeted proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery.

“Pakistan’s National Development Complex – which is responsible for Pakistan’s ballistic missile program and has worked to acquire items to advance Pakistan’s long range ballistic missile program – and Affiliates International, Akhtar and Sons Private Limited, and Rockside Enterprise – which have worked to supply equipment and missile‐applicable items to Pakistan’s ballistic missile program, including its long range missile program – are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13382 Section 1(a)(ii) for having engaged, or attempted to engage, in activities or transactions that have materially contributed to, or pose a risk of materially contributing to, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction or their means of delivery (including missiles capable of delivering such weapons), including any efforts to manufacture, acquire, possess, develop, transport, transfer, or use such items, by Pakistan,” read the statement.