US imposes more sanctions over Pakistan's ballistic missile program
The United States said on Wednesday it was imposing new sanctions related to nuclear-armed Pakistan's long-range ballistic-missile program, including on the state-owned defense agency that oversees the program.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stated that the sanctions, applied to the National Development Complex (NDC) and three associated firms, fall under an executive order aimed at curbing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems.
The sanctions freeze any US-based assets of the designated entities and prohibit Americans from conducting business with them.
In response, Pakistan’s foreign ministry called the sanctions 'unfortunate and biased,' claiming they threaten regional stability by exacerbating military imbalances—an apparent reference to the nation's ongoing rivalry with nuclear-armed India.
A State Department factsheet highlighted that the Islamabad-based NDC has sought components and testing equipment for Pakistan's long-range ballistic missile program. The NDC is reportedly responsible for developing Pakistan’s Shaheen missile family, which is believed to be nuclear-capable.
Pakistan first conducted nuclear weapons tests in 1998, becoming the world’s seventh nuclear-armed nation. According to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Pakistan is estimated to possess around 170 nuclear warheads.
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