US calls Pakistan ‘long-term partner’ despite sanctions related to missile program

US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller speaks during a news conference at the State Department in Washington, DC, on September 18, 2024. (Photo courtesy: Screengrab/State Department)

• State Department official says US policy is to ‘deny support to Pakistan’s long-range ballistic missile program’
• Pakistan has called the US decision ‘biased and politically motivated’ that can increase ‘military asymmetries’

ISLAMABAD: The United States described Pakistan as a “long-term partner” on Tuesday, while acknowledging areas of disagreement, noting that Washington’s recent decision to impose sanctions on commercial entities suspected of aiding Pakistan’s ballistic missile program was one such issue.
The US imposed the sanctions on a Chinese research institute and several companies last week, alleging they had supplied missile-applicable items to Pakistan.
In response, Pakistan criticized Washington for the decision, calling it “biased and politically motivated,” saying similar listings of commercial entities in the past was prepared on mere suspicion and involved items not listed under any export control regime.
Asked about the US decision, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller described it as part of his country’s efforts to strengthen the “international nonproliferation regime by taking action against networks supporting activities of proliferation concern.”
“Pakistan has been a long-term partner of ours, and I think what this action shows is that there continue to be places where we have disagreement, and when we have disagreements, we won’t hesitate to act on those to protect America’s interests,” he said during a media briefing.
“It has been our longstanding policy to deny support to Pakistan’s long-range ballistic missile program, and we will continue to use our sanctions and other – our other tools to ensure our national security cannot be – cannot be impacted, and that the US financial system cannot be used by proliferators,” he added.
Miller said the US executive order action last week followed its October 2023 and April 2024 designation of six Chinese and one Belarusian entity since they were supplying Pakistan’s missile program.
He noted there was a listing of numerous Pakistani and third-country entities on the US Department of Commerce Entity List for decades.
“We have been clear and consistent about our concerns with Pakistan’s ballistic missile program for many years,” he continued.
Pakistan said on Saturday it was widely known that “some countries, while claiming strict adherence to nonproliferation norms, have conveniently waived licensing requirements for advanced military technologies to their favored states.”
“Such double standards and discriminatory practices undermine the credibility of global nonproliferation regimes, increase military asymmetries, and endanger international peace and security,” it added.
China also said it would “firmly protect” the rights and interests of its companies and individuals.
One of its diplomats in Washington noted last week his country opposed “unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction that have no basis in international law or authorization of the UN Security Council.”