Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday slammed the imposition of U.S. sanctions on Pakistan’s ballistic missile program, stressing there will be no compromise on the country’s nuclear program.
“There is no justification for the sanctions imposed on us,” he told the federal cabinet. “There will be no compromise on Pakistan’s nuclear program,” he said, adding Pakistan has no intention to utilize its nuclear weapons in an aggressive posture. “It [nuclear program] is 100 percent for Pakistan’s defense. It’s just deterrence; nothing else,” he emphasized.
The ballistic missile program, he continued, aims to defend Pakistan “if God forbid there is aggression against” the country. Noting the Foreign Office had already issued a “comprehensive response” to the U.S. decision, he said it belonged to all of Pakistan and was not the sole provenance of any politician or government.
“It’s dearer to them (the public) than their own hearts and there will be no compromise,” he said, maintaining the country was united on this position.
Last week, the U.S. State Department announced the imposition of sanctions on four entities linked to Pakistan’s ballistic missile program, including the state-run National Development Complex. In a statement, it claimed the four entities, including three private companies, were contributing to the proliferation or delivery of nuclear weapons.
Shortly after the announcement, the Foreign Office issued a rejoinder declaring the decision “unfortunate and biased.” Emphasizing the double standards of the U.S., it warned that the decision could have dangerous implications for the strategic stability of the region and beyond.
Subsequently, U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer told the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace that Pakistan was developing long-range ballistic missile capabilities that could allow it to, eventually, strike targets outside of South Asia, including the U.S. He said Islamabad’s conduct raised “real questions” about its intentions.