 "US sanctions on 4 entities supporting Pakistan's ballistic missile project")
The United States announced sanctions on four entities in Pakistan including one state-owned defence agency for their involvement in the country’s long-range ballistic missile programme on Wednesday. The US State Department spokesperson Mathew Miller said the action targets proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems.
The sanctioned entities include the National Development Complex (NDC), a key organisation based in Islamabad that has played a pivotal role in advancing Pakistan’s ballistic missile capabilities. NDC is credited with developing the Shaheen-series ballistic missiles and has procured specialised vehicle chassis and missile testing equipment to support these efforts.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry described the US action as “unfortunate and biased” in a statement, warning that it could undermine regional stability by “exacerbating military asymmetries,” a clear reference to its rivalry with nuclear-armed India.
The US sanction mentions three other Karachi-based entities:
Akhtar and Sons Private Limited, which has supplied a range of equipment for NDC’s missile development activities.
Affiliates International, involved in procuring missile-compatible items for NDC and related programs.
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Rockside Enterprise, has supported NDC by providing various equipment essential for Pakistan’s missile program.
According to the statement, the sanctions aim to curb the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and prevent further destabilizing developments in the region.
Pakistan's Shaheen-series ballistic missile programme
According to a Reuters report, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists says Pakistan’s Shaheen-series missiles are nuclear-capable.
Pakistan entered the ranks of nuclear-armed nations in 1998 with its first nuclear weapons test, becoming the seventh country to do so. The Bulletin estimates that Pakistan currently possesses approximately 170 nuclear warheads.
According to the media reports, first tested in March 2015, the Shaheen-III is Pakistan’s longest-range missile. Interestingly, the project was started secretly in the early 2000s as a response to India’s Agni-III. With an estimated range of 2,750 kilometers, the Shaheen-III would have the range to reach the farthest reaches of India’s northeast, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The Shaheen-III becomes a part of Pakistan’s essential second-strike nuclear capability.
It is said that Shaheen-III can destroy targets up to Israel within 12 minutes. Former Lt Gen (R) Ghulam Mustafa has also claimed that the missile travels 18 times faster than the speed of sound.
Shaheen-III, being the largest missile of the Shaheen series, is a replacement for the Shaheen-I and Shaheen-II ballistic missiles. On March 26, 2022, Pakistan successfully tested the Shaheen-1A - a surface-to-surface ballistic missile that reached 900 kms into space.