New sanctions unwarranted: Pak.

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, SEPT. 2. Pakistan has reacted sharply to the United Sates decision to impose new sanctions on China and Pakistan for the alleged supply of Chinese components to Islamabad's missile programme.

The country's Ambassador to the U.S., Ms. Maleeha Lodhi, has termed the sanctions imposed on the Government's National Defence Complex (NDC) and a Chinese state-owned company for violating the Missile Technology Control Regime, ``unwarranted and unjustified''.

Talking to Washington-based mediapersons, Ms. Lodhi criticised the U.S. for proposing fresh sanctions though both China and Pakistan had denied the allegations. Pakistani media today quoted her as saying ``our cooperation with China does not violate MTCR guidelines to which neither country is a party. But Pakistan abides by these guidelines and there is nothing between China and Pakistan that violates the guidelines''.

She said Pakistan already faced seven layers of sanctions and the new measures against one particular company would have no effect on the indigenous missile programme.

Pakistani papers said the sanctions did not augur well for relations with the U.S. particularly when the President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, was scheduled to meet Mr. George W. Bush at month-end. In a report from Washington, the English daily, The News, said ``Pakistan fears that the move has been timed by lobbies within the administration and the U.S. Congress who want to influence the decision on removal of sanctions against Pakistan''.

A report in the Dawn said ``the fresh measures could strengthen the hands of those U.S. legislators who advocate lifting of sanctions against India but not on Pakistan''. It said this was the fourth time in a decade that sanctions were imposed against Pakistan under the MTCR. The new sanctions were expected to last two years. Significantly, these would be the first sanctions by the Bush administration.

For Pakistan, the significance is believed to be more symbolic than concrete. The NDC was already part of the long list of Pakistani entities blacklisted by Washington.

`Indigenous programme'

AP reports:

Meanwhile, the NDC denied Washington's allegations saying the country's missile programme was indigenous. ``It is very unfortunate that the U.S. has imposed sanctions without knowing the facts,'' the NDC chairman, Mr. Samar Mubarak Mand, said.

However, he said his company would not be affected by the sanctions. ``We are not involved in missile technology transfer to any country, group or individual, nor do we import it from any other country.''

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