The Office of the United States of Industry and Safety (BIS) has added more than a dozen Pakistani companies to its list of entities for their involvement in “unwanted” nuclear activities, with seven additional companies confronted with restrictions for their contributions to the Pakistan ballistic missile program.
This decision follows recent changes to the American export Administration Regulations (EAR) and affects 70 entities in China, Pakistan, Iran, South Africa and Water, as indicated on the Federal American Register website.
The companies listed are considered to have a significant risk for American national security or the interests of foreign policy.
Among the Pakistani companies added to the list for their nuclear-related activities are Britlite Engineering, Indentch International, Intralink Incorporated, Proc-Master, Rehman Engineering and Services and others.
The United States government said that these entities “act unlike national security or foreign policy interests in the United States”.
The new restrictions will limit their access to American technology, requiring additional licenses for exports, re -exports and transfers in the country involving these companies.
In addition, seven companies have been sanctioned for their presumed role in the Pakistan ballistic missile program, including allied commercial problems, world merchants and the automation of links. These companies are mainly based in Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad and Wah Cantonment, although they were not immediately available to comment.
In response to sanctions, the Pakistan Foreign Ministry criticized this decision, calling on it “unfair” and politically motivated. The spokesman Shafqat Ali Khan argued that these actions were counterproductive for the global objectives of export control and obstructed the country’s access to the technology necessary for socio-economic development.
The latest sanctions come as American-Pakistani relations remain tense following the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. Tensions were still degenerate last week when the United States imposed a 29% reciprocal rate on imports from Pakistan. Analysts warn that this could have an impact on the $ 17 billion textile industry in Pakistan.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan has condemned sanctions and reiterated that the country’s strategic capacities are essential to defend its sovereignty and regional peace. The government plans to send a high -level delegation to Washington to discuss new prices, which Pakistan hopes could be exploited in an opportunity for mutual profit.
The US government had previously imposed sanctions on the National Development Complex in Pakistan and several commercial entities based in Karachi in December 2023. These actions were also criticized by Pakistan, which insists that they are based on unjustified suspicions rather than evidence.