Last week, the US State Department spokesperson Mathew Miller said, “We have been clear and consistent about our concerns with Pakistan’s Ballistic Missile Program for many years, adding the US will continue to use sanctions and other tools against long-term partner, Pakistan’s Ballistic Missile Program’’. While the US shares concern regarding Pakistan’s BMD Program; it ponders no opposition to Indian BMD system, thus, showing its double standard on Pakistan’s nuclear capabilities. As India’s military capabilities have progressed, and advanced, Pakistan is justified to consider modifying its nuclear and missile systems to maintain its strategic deterrence.
Needless to say, the US Government has been generally supportive of India’s efforts to bolster its defence capabilities, particularly Indian missile system. The United States has shown support for India’s Military-Industrial Development (MBD) Program through collaborations and agreements aimed at enhancing defence capabilities. Traditionally, the US sees Pakistan’s long-range ballistic missile programme with a jaundiced eye and sanctions have been unjustifiably imposed on it by asserting that Washington has been consistently concerned about Pakistan’s ballistic missile development efforts and the potential for collaboration with China, viewing these as threats to regional stability.
As per the US State Department Statement : ‘’Specifically, the Department of State is designating the Beijing Research Institute of Automation for Machine Building Industry (RIAMB) pursuant to Executive Order 13382, which targets proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery. RIAMB has worked with Pakistan’s National Development Complex (NDC) –which the United States assesses is involved in the development and production of Pakistan’s long-range ballistic missiles – to procure equipment for testing of large diameter rocket motors, including the Shaheen-3 and Ababeel, but also potentially for larger systems’’.
These sanctions were aimed at firms that provided missile-related stuff to Pakistan, which helps boost Pakistan’s ballistic missile programme. Nonetheless, experts indicate that without providing evidence to substantiate the respective claims, US imposition of unilateral sanctions are not justifiable. The current announcement marks the sixth round of such sanctions to be levied by the US on Chinese and Pakistani companies since November 2021. Under these sanctions, the US-based assets of those named can be frozen, these companies are banned from doing business with any group or person named.
As for Pakistan’s official stance, Mumtaz Zehra Baloch spokesperson of Ministry of Foreign Affairs(MOFA) said, ‘’It is widely known that some countries, while claiming strict adherence to non-proliferation norms, have conveniently waived licensing requirements for advanced military technologies to their favoured states. The spokesperson further stated: “Such double standards and discriminatory practices undermine the credibility of global non-proliferation regimes, increase military asymmetries, and endanger international peace and security.”
In the same vein, Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for China’s embassy in Washington, said, “China firmly opposes unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction that have no basis in international law or authorisation of the UN Security Council.” Discernibly, US approach towards the application of nuclear law is selective, biased and unilateral. Clearly, the US is perceived to reflect double standards regarding the Pakistan Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) system because it often critiques Pakistan’s nuclear program while being more lenient towards India’s similar capabilities. Furthermore, the US has imposed what Pakistan describes as “biased and politically-motivated” sanctions related to its missile program, contributing to these perceptions of hypocrisy.
And yet, India’s Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) system has received significant cooperation from the US due to the strategic partnership that has developed between the two nations. Therefore, the Pakistani side argues that an overriding US support to India is the major cause of concern in South Asia. Despite these sanctions, imposed since November 2021, Pakistan’s missile program remains active and has continued to develop. To counter India’s perceived threats, Pakistan has also developed an indigenous AVM Program.
Nonetheless, Washington’s nuclear approach towards Islamabad profoundly reflects on “nuclear apartheid” in South Asia. This propensity is used to describe the perceived inequality in nuclear capabilities and policies among states, particularly in South Asia, where the US has shown a differential approach towards countries like India and Pakistan. This inequity can manifest in the US support of India’s nuclear capabilities while applying stricter controls and limitations on Pakistan, contributing to regional tensions and security dilemmas.
Needless to say, the post Agni-V South Asia poses new challenges to the strategic stability in the region which is glaringly marked by India’s MIRV capable Intercontinental Ballistic Missile(ICBM) test in March, 2024, has significantly advanced Indian missile technology characterizing Multiple Independently targetable Reentry Vehicle (MIRV) capabilities. All the while, this argument holds considerable weight that India‘s BMD programme — that India can use the MIRV capabilities for counter space mission, thereby also targeting of satellites and its expansion of counter space weapons— intrinsically disturbs the strategic balance/equilibrium in South Asia.
In South Asia, Pakistan’s development of a Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) system is aimed at deterring India’s BMD capability—essentially counterfeiting any potential attack from India. Pakistan perceives India’s speedily growing BMD Program a major threat to its nuclear deterrent. In order to counter India’s ballistic missile defence (BMD) system, so far, Pakistan has developed different variants of several long-range ballistic missile variants, including the Hatf VI (Shaheen II) and Shaheen 1A. Pakistan has also developed Shaheen-3 ranging 2750 km and MIRV-Ababeel ranging 2200 km. As for Pakistan, given the profound imperatives of its two-fold doctrine (full spectrum deterrence (FSD)-cum-strategic autonomy, Islamabad is obliged to pursue modifying its deterrence capabilities in accordance with the growing strategic needs.
Thus, Islamabad is determined to maintain its versatile BMD system capability vis-à-vis India’s. As a responsible nuclear state, Pakistan has been currently elected as member of the IAEA’s Board of Governors for the 21st time. While the Biden Administration is adhered to extend an enduring partnership between the US and Pakistan, Islamabad advocates for an equality-based strategic US approach in South Asia.
—The writer, an independent ‘IR’ researcher-cum-international law analyst based in Pakistan, is member of European Consortium for Political Research Standing Group on IR, Critical Peace & Conflict Studies, also a member of Washington Foreign Law Society and European Society of International Law. He deals with the strategic and nuclear issues.
