Pakistan ballistic missile: Pakistan is developing long-range ballistic missiles, which can be a threat to the United States. This big warning has been given by a senior US official of the White House. The senior official said that Pakistan also refused to explain why it is developing more powerful rocket engines. Just a day ago, America has imposed new sanctions on Pakistan's missile program.

US-Pakistan relations worsen

The surprising revelations of Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer show how bad the relations between the US and Pakistan have become. Relations between Washington and Islamabad have soured since the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan in 2021.

What did the American officials say

Speaking to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, John Finer said Pakistan is building long-range ballistic missile systems and equipment, and is developing sophisticated missile technology that will enable the testing of much larger rocket motors.

The emerging threat to America

Finer said that if these trends continue, "Pakistan will have the capability to strike targets beyond South Asia, including the United States." The number of nuclear-armed countries with missiles that can reach US soil is very small and they are adversaries, he said, naming Russia, North Korea and China. So, frankly, it's hard for us to view Pakistan's actions as anything other than an emerging threat to the United States.

Two senior administration officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said US concerns about Pakistan's missile program are long-standing and stem from the size of the rocket engines being developed. One official said a threat to the United States is a decade away.

Is Pakistan's target not just India now?

The new missile program also raised questions about whether Pakistan has changed the objectives of its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, which were long built to counter India, with which it has fought three wars since 1947 and lost all three. There has been no response from Pakistan so far to this US comment.