In response to the US decision to impose sanctions on commercial entities over alleged links to Pakistan’s ballistic missile program, the Foreign Office has dismissed the accusations as unjustified.
The FO spokesperson, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, addressed media queries, stating, “Such designations of commercial entities have occurred previously based on accusations of ties to Pakistan’s ballistic missile program without presenting any evidence.”
The statement highlighted Pakistan’s lack of awareness regarding the specifics of the latest US measures but emphasized past instances where designations were made solely on suspicion, even when the involved items were not on any control lists but were considered sensitive under catch-all provisions.
Pakistan stressed the importance of avoiding arbitrary application of export controls, emphasizing the need for objective discussions between concerned parties to ensure access to technology for socio-economic development.
The FO reiterated Pakistan’s willingness to engage in discussions on end-use and end-user verification mechanisms to prevent harm to legitimate commercial users from discriminatory export controls.
Furthermore, Pakistan rejected the political exploitation of export controls, highlighting discrepancies where certain jurisdictions claiming strict non-proliferation controls have waived licensing requirements for advanced military technologies for some countries, leading to arms buildup and regional imbalances.
The statement comes after the US announced sanctions against Chinese and Belarusian companies for alleged cooperation in Pakistan’s missile program, reaffirming its commitment to strengthen global nuclear non-proliferation efforts.
