Pakistan dismisses warnings from U.S. officials about missile program as baseless
KARACHI (Reuters) – Pakistan’s foreign ministry on Saturday dismissed claims by a senior U.S. official that its missile program could ultimately pose a threat to the United States as baseless and “illogical.”
Earlier this week, US deputy national security adviser Jon Feiner said Pakistan’s development of long-range ballistic missiles made it an “emerging threat”.
Fenner’s comments came a day after Washington announced a new round of sanctions related to its ballistic missile program, underscoring the deterioration of once-close ties between Washington and Islamabad since the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
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In response to Fenner’s remarks, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said the perception of the alleged threat was “unfortunate”.
“These accusations are baseless and lack rationality and a sense of history,” the foreign ministry added in a statement.
The ministry said its strategic capabilities are solely for defending sovereignty and maintaining regional stability and should not be considered a threat to any other country.
It also highlighted Pakistan’s long history of cooperation with the United States, particularly in counter-terrorism efforts, and reaffirmed its commitment to engage constructively on all issues, including regional security and stability.
Relations between the United States and Pakistan have experienced significant ups and downs. The two countries worked together to combat Al Qaeda during the Cold War and after the 9/11 attacks.
However, relations have become strained over the Pakistani military’s coup in the South Asian country, its support for the Taliban who ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, and its nuclear weapons program.
(Reporting by Gibran Peshimam and Ariba Shahid in Karachi; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Helen Popper)
