Tue Dec 24 12:49:06 UTC 2024: ## Pakistan Defends Missile Program Amidst US Sanctions

**Islamabad, December 24, 2024** – Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vehemently defended the country’s nuclear and ballistic missile program today, dismissing recent US sanctions as unjustified. The sanctions, imposed on four Pakistani entities including the National Development Complex (NDC), a state-owned aerospace and defense agency, accuse them of contributing to Pakistan’s ballistic missile program. Three other Karachi-based firms – Akhtar and Sons Private Limited, Affiliates International, and Rockside Enterprise – were also targeted.

Prime Minister Sharif, addressing a federal cabinet meeting, stated that Pakistan’s nuclear capabilities are purely defensive and serve as a deterrent. He emphasized the program’s importance to national security and asserted that there would be no compromise on this issue, highlighting national unity on the matter.

The Foreign Office previously described the US sanctions as “unfortunate and biased,” and Prime Minister Sharif reiterated that the government had provided a comprehensive response to the US. The move comes amidst a history of strained relations between Pakistan and the US, marked by disagreements over human rights, terrorism, and Pakistan’s nuclear and missile programs.

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