UNDER its Executive Order 13382, United States imposed sanctions on four entities (companies) for their alleged involvement in supplying materials and equipment to Pakistan’s ballistic missile programme. Indeed, this is a discriminatory act of the United States, since this Executive Order pertains to sanction those entities and companies which are involved in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Pakistani Ballistic Missile Programme is an on-going project, started in the 1980s and it is fully developed and indigenous in nature. It is not a new beginning nor involved any sort of proliferation including weapons of mass destruction. Ever since the development of ballistic missile programme, Pakistan has been re-evaluating and re-validating the technical and functional mechanism of various missile systems which is done by every country having such programmes and weapon systems. This is not something unusual or new which could have obliged US to react in haste and irrationally too. The impulsive and illogical decision of imposing sanctions on three Chinese bases entities and one Belarus based entity has raised many questions about the US double standards and discriminatory approach towards Pakistan. US accused Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant (Belarus): for providing launch support to Pakistan’s ballistic missiles. The Chinese company, Xi’an Longde Technology Development Company Limited (China) is blamed by US for supplying missile-related equipment, including a filament winding machine, potentially used in producing rocket motor cases. The third entity, Tianjin Creative Source International Trade Co Ltd (China) is accused by US for providing equipment like stir welding machines and a linear accelerator system, potentially used in manufacturing propellant tanks and inspecting solid rocket motors to Pakistani ballistic missile system. The Chinese Granpect Company Limited is sanctioned for collaborating with space agency and missile development complex of Pakistan. It is worth mentioning that, Pakistani ballistic missile system has all these system and facilities manufactured indigenously at home.
For research and development and further refinement, every state including US get better equipment from anywhere in the world. Pakistan cannot be made as exception nor should be blamed for collaborator research to refine its indigenously developed missile system. As analyzed by renowned scholar Mr Shuja Nawaz, a fellow at the South Asia Center of the Atlantic Council in Washington, it is very surprising that on one hand US is getting closer to Pakistan for assisting it in its economic revival while on the other, it target Islamabad through such sanctions which have no reasons at this stage. “In a week when the US officialdom went out of its way to assist Pakistan in its economic recovery efforts via the IMF, World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank, as well as US development finance institutions, these sanctions are going to punish Pakistan publicly”. This is a clear reminder to Pakistan that “for all the carrots, there are sticks that the US can deploy.”
Indeed, U.S would never like that Pakistan should be out from its radar and dictations. Very recently, once Government of Pakistan decided to revive the Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline, there was a categorical denial from State Department. Immediately upon this long-awaited decision of Pakistan, the militancy and terrorism stepped-up in various parts of Pakistan which even targeted five Chinese engineers in north Pakistan. Gawadar Port Authority which is hub of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was also attached by the foreign sponsored terrorist groups. Some foreign nationals were targeted in Karachi on April 19, 2024. The military posts and personal all along the Pak-Afghan border and in Balochistan Province are being attacked as a routine. Indeed, this all is being done to rein-in Pakistan. Indeed, keeping Pakistan politically unstable, economically unsound, socially fragmented and militarily dependent has always been the agenda of US led western politics ever since 1950s. Through such a status, U.S and west can ensure better control over this great ideological Muslim state of the world.
This is very encouraging that, spokesperson of the Foreign Office of Pakistan, Mumtaz Zahra Balochhas categorically rejected the US sanctions on these four companies. She said that, “We reject political use of export controls. It is well known that the same jurisdictions, which claim strict adherence to non-proliferation controls, have waived off licensing requirements for advanced military technologies for some countries.” Indeed, U.S is all out supporting the India in its nuclear and missile programme despite New Delhi has been involved in massive proliferations in its ballistic missile and nuclear weapon programme. Indeed, “such discriminatory approaches and double standards undermine the credibility of nonproliferation regimes and also the objectives of regional and global peace and security by “accentuating military asymmetries”.It is worth mentioning that, in October 2023, United States imposed sanctions on three Chinese companies on the false accusations that, they supply parts (missile]applicable items) to Pakistan’s ballistic missile program. These Chinese firms included; a) General Technology Limited, b) Beijing LuoLuo Technology Development Co Ltd, and c) Changzhou Utek Composite Company Ltd.In mid-October 2022, US President, Mr Joe Biden criticized Pakistan’s nuclear programme by saying it as, “one of the most dangerous nations in the world” as the country has “nuclear weapons without any cohesion”. It was a highly irresponsible and discriminatory statement by the President of a super power.
Through such discriminatory sanctions, ostensibly U.S is targeting Pakistan and China for their strategic collaboration. Whereas, China is a peer competitor of US in the international politics, Pakistan is a significant partner of China in the regional politics through projects like CPEC and Gawadar. Chronology of Pak-US relationship, indicates that, Washington would like to see Pakistan as a state, embroiled into; politicalinstability, economic destitution, social disharmony and strategically dependent. Let’s there be an end to US exploitative strategy against Pakistan. Pakistan must pursue an independent and balance foreign policy which is centered on its own national interests.
— The writer is Professor of Politics and IR at International Islamic University, Islamabad.
Email: [email protected]
