ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Ministry on Monday responded to reports of seven Pakistani companies engaged in nuclear trade being placed on a US “Entity List,” saying it would seek information from the US and the companies “to better understand the circumstances” that led to the listing.
Reports that the US Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), which works under the Department of Commerce, has placed sanctions on the firms is likely to damage Pakistan’s efforts to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
“We caution against unnecessarily politicizing the issue,” said ministry spokesman Dr. Mohammad Faisal. 
“We reject attempts by Pakistan’s detractors to exploit these listings to cast aspersions on Pakistan’s non-proliferation credentials. Such attempts give rise to doubts about the motivation and timing of these measures, which will be seen as being politically driven.”
Associate Prof. Dr. Zafar Nawaz Jaspal, who is highly regarded for his academic work on nuclear issues, told Arab News that the US action “obstructs Pakistan’s bid for full membership of the NSG.”
He added: “Sanctioning seven companies is another attempt to pressure Pakistan because it’s determined not to accept the unrealistic diktats of the Trump administration.”
All the companies are from the private sector, and will require additional scrutiny to meet licensing requirements to acquire “US-origin items.” 
The “Entity List” is updated “based on the national technical determination made by the relevant US authorities,” with additions and removals of businesses from many countries, including NSG member states, said the Foreign Ministry.
Twenty-three sanctioned companies from Pakistan, Singapore and South Sudan were placed on the “Entity List” on March 22, according to a BIS document published on the US Federal Register website, which “identifies entities reasonably believed to be involved, or to pose a significant risk of being or becoming involved, in activities contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States.”
Besides the seven Pakistan-based firms banned by the US, an eighth is operated by Pakistanis from Singapore.
Mushko Electronics Pvt. Ltd. in Singapore, and Mushko Electronics Pvt. Ltd. in Pakistan, are accused of procuring material for several sanctioned “Pakistani entities.” 
Solutions Engineering has been listed for “involvement in activity contrary” to US interests. Akhtar and Munir, Proficient Engineers and Pervaiz Commercial Trading Co. (PCTC) have been listed for “their involvement in the proliferation of unsafeguarded nuclear activities.”
Marine Systems Pvt. Ltd. is suspected of circumventing the export administration regulations restrictions assisting sanctioned Pakistani entities to acquire “items.” 
Engineering and Commercial Services (ECS) has allegedly supplied material to a Pakistani nuclear entity.
An ECS representative who identified himself as Arslan was reluctant to share information with Arab News, but confirmed that the company procures “chemicals and related material” and deals “globally.” He refused to provide the owner’s name or contact details.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Yukia Amano, who visited some of Pakistan’s nuclear plants in March, commended the country’s command, control, knowledge and safety of nuclear technology. “The NSG would be better off with Pakistan inside rather than outside,” he said.
The NSG was founded in 1974 to prevent nuclear proliferation via stringent checks and balances. Pakistan, backed by Turkey and China, applied for membership in May 2016.