Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated that Pakistan will not compromise on its nuclear program. During a federal cabinet meeting, he emphasized that the program is intended solely for defensive purposes and will not be used for aggression on Tuesday.

He also criticized the recent US sanctions imposed on four Pakistani firms over their alleged involvement in the country’s ballistic missile program, asserting that these measures lack justification.

“The sanctions on our National Development Complex and other entities have no basis,” he remarked. “Pakistan has no intention of developing an aggressive nuclear system; it is entirely for our defense,” he added.

Last week, the US announced new sanctions related to Pakistan’s long-range ballistic missile program, targeting the state-owned defense agency responsible for overseeing it.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller announced that the sanctions imposed on the National Development Complex and three other firms were enacted under an executive order aimed at “targeting proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems.”

In reaction to this, Pakistan described the sanctions as “unfortunate and biased.”

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Subsequently, US Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer remarked that Pakistan’s development of long-range ballistic missiles has positioned it as an “emerging threat.” He noted that Islamabad’s actions raise “real questions” regarding the intentions behind its ballistic missile program.

“Honestly, it’s difficult for us to view Pakistan’s actions as anything other than an emerging threat to the United States,” Finer stated during an event at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.