Pakistan decries US sanctions as biased, politically motivated

Pakistan on Saturday criticised the decision by the United States to impose sanctions on commercial entities accused of aiding Pakistan’s ballistic missile program.

The US imposed the sanctions on a Chinese research institute and several companies on Thursday.

State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement the Beijing Research Institute of Automation for Machine Building Industry had collaborated with Pakistan to procure equipment for testing rocket motors for the Shaheen-3 and Ababeel systems, and potentially for larger systems.

He maintained that the US decision reflected its commitment to “act against proliferation and associated procurement activities of concern, wherever they occur.”

“Pakistan considers this action as biased and politically-motivated said in response to media queries related to the development. “Similar listings of commercial entities in the past were based on mere suspicion [and] involved items not listed under any export control regime and yet were considered sensitive under broad, catch-all provisions.”

“It is 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,” Baloch continued.

“Such double standards and discriminatory practices undermine the credibility of global nonproliferation regimes, increase military asymmetries, and endanger international peace and security,” she added.