KARACHI: The Bureau of Industry and Security of the United States (US) Department of Commerce has added more than a dozen Pakistani firms to its entity list for their contributions to “unsafeguarded” nuclear activities and seven others for contributing to the South Asian nation’s ballistic missile program.
Late last month, the US authorities changed their Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and added 70 entities from China, Pakistan, Iran, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates to the list that identifies entities which have been involved or pose a significant risk to national security or foreign policy interests of the US, according to the US federal register website.
Pakistani companies that have been restricted for their alleged involvement in unsafeguarded nuclear activities include Britlite Engineering Company, Indentech International, IntraLink Incorporated, Proc-Master, Rehman Engineering and Services, The Sadidians, Sine Technologies, Supply Source Co., Ariston Trade Links, Professional Systems (Pvt) Ltd., RASTEK Technologies and NA Enterprises.
“These entities have been determined by the US Government to be acting contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States,” the US federal register website said.
“[The EAR impose] additional license requirements on, and limit the availability of, most license exceptions for exports, re-exports, and [in-country] transfers when a listed entity is a party to the transaction.”
Pakistani firms put under additional restrictions for allegedly contributing to Pakistan’s ballistic missile program include Allied Business Concerns (Pvt) Ltd, Global Traders, Linkers Automation (Pvt) Ltd, Otto Manufacturing, Potohar Industrial & Trading Concern, Rachna Supplies (Pvt) Ltd. and Resource Enterprises.
Most of the above-mentioned companies are based in Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad and Wah Cantonment, but they could not be immediately reached for comments.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry said last month the US “unfairly targeted” Pakistan’s commercial entities without any evidence whatsoever.
“Such biased and politically motivated actions are counterproductive to the objectives of global export controls and obstruct the legitimate access to technology for socio-economic development,” Shafqat Ali Khan, a foreign ministry spokesperson, said during a weekly media briefing in Islamabad on March 27.
Pakistan’s relations with the US, its largest export destination, have mostly been patchy since Washington’s withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021.
Last week, President Donald Trump’s administration imposed a 29 percent reciprocal tariffs on imports from Pakistan, which analysts believe may hurt the South Asian nation’s textiles industry that fetched $17 billion for the cash-strapped country in the last fiscal year that ended in June.
Pakistan, which enjoys a trade surplus with the US, plans to send a high-level delegation to Washington for discussions on the new tariffs that Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has said could be turned into an opportunity for the benefit of the two trading partners.
In December, the US government also sanctioned Pakistan’s National Development Complex and three Karachi-based commercial entities, including Akhtar and Sons Private Limited, Affiliates International and Rockside Enterprise.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry called the sanctions as “unfortunate and biased” and said the country’s strategic capabilities are meant to defend its sovereignty and preserve peace and stability in South Asia.
Regretting the sanctioning of private commercial entities, the ministry said similar listings of commercial entities in the past were based on mere doubts and suspicion without any evidence.
US sanctions 19 Pakistani firms over ‘unsafeguarded’ nuclear, ballistic missile program activities
https://arab.news/gh5ef
US sanctions 19 Pakistani firms over ‘unsafeguarded’ nuclear, ballistic missile program activities
- Washington says actions of these Pakistani companies were ‘contrary to its national security’
- Pakistan has termed the move biased and counterproductive to global export controls objectives
Pakistan army hits Afghan Taliban drone storage facility, ammunition depot in Jalalabad
- Around 435 Afghan Taliban fighters killed, over 630 injured in Pakistani military offensive, minister says
- Several countries, global bodies have urged both sides to exercise restraint since the conflict began last week
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s army struck a drone storage facility and ammunition depot of Afghan Taliban in Jalalabad, a Pakistani security official said on Monday, following Pakistani strikes on more than 50 locations in Afghanistan amid ongoing hostilities between the neighbors.
Pakistan launched Operation ‘Ghazb lil Haq’ against Afghanistan on the night of Feb. 26 following an attack by Afghanistan on Pakistani military installations along their shared border.
The worst fighting between the two neighbors in years erupted after Pakistani airstrikes targeted what Islamabad called militant hideouts inside Afghanistan on Feb. 21-22, accusing Kabul of harboring Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants behind the attacks on its soil. Afghanistan denies the charge.
A Pakistani security official, who requested anonymity, said the army was continuing “strong retaliatory action” against the Afghan Taliban and blew up multiple border posts, forcing them to abandon their positions.
“Pakistan forces are effectively targeting the bases and military installations of the Fitna Al-Khawarij and the Afghan Taliban,” he said.
“During the effective counter-operation of the Pakistani forces, the ammunition depot and drone storage site of Fitna Al-Khawarij (TTP) and the Afghan Taliban in Jalalabad was destroyed.”
Separately, Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said more than 400 Afghan Taliban fighters had been killed and over 630 wounded in the Pakistani military offensive so far.
Pakistan destroyed around 188 check posts and captured 31, according to a post on X by Tarar. Over 180 tanks, armored vehicles and artillery guns were also destroyed in Pakistani air raids at 51 locations across Afghanistan.
On Sunday, Pakistani state media shared a video of what it said were Pakistani soldiers crossing into Afghanistan in the northwest to capture an Afghan post. Pakistan has seized a 32-square-kilometer area of Afghanistan, another Pakistani security official said.
Afghan officials earlier said that dozens of Pakistani soldiers had been killed and several Pakistan posts had been captured by their forces. None of the casualty figures or battlefield claims from either side could be independently verified.
Since the conflict began last week, diplomatic efforts have intensified, with several countries and international bodies calling on both sides to exercise restraint.
The United Nations, along with China and Russia, has called for calm, while US President Donald Trump said Pakistan has the right to defend itself against cross-border militancy.
