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ISLAMABAD —
Pakistan has criticized as "extremely unfortunate" a new U.S. report labeling the south Asian country's weapons a continued threat to regional American interests.
The annual global threat assessment notes that Pakistan continues to produce and develop new types of nuclear weapons, including short-range tactical weapons, sea-based cruise missiles, and longer-range ballistic missiles.
"These new types of nuclear weapons will introduce new risks for escalation dynamics and security in the region," said the report, which has been sent to a congressional committee for review.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Faisal criticized the report Thursday for its "singular negative focus" on Pakistan.
FILE - Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Faisal briefs journalists in Islamabad, Pakistan, Feb. 4, 2018.
He told a weekly news conference in Islamabad that "any credible threat assessment" would have cautioned about what Pakistan alleges are India's "fastest growing" stockpiles of nuclear weapons.
"We have consistently maintained that Pakistan's nuclear posture is purely defensive, in order to deter the aggressive designs of its hostile neighbor in the east," Faisal said in a direct reference to rival India. The U.S. report "smacks of partisanship," he concluded.
Washington is particularly worried about Islamabad's short-range small nuclear weapons because U.S. officials believe their introduction into the Pakistani army's arsenal has increased chances of nuclear conflict in the region.
Pakistani officials maintain the nation's short-range battlefield NASR (Hatf-IX) nuclear-capable missile would deter bigger neighbor India from imposing a sudden, limited assault with conventional forces under New Delhi's "Cold Start" doctrine.
The military announced last year it had enhanced NASR's flight maneuverability and extended its range to 70 kilometers from 60.
Kashmir
Rawalpindi, Islamabad Pakistan, Line of Control, Kashmir
India and Pakistan have fought three wars and the two nuclear-armed nations remain locked in routine military skirmishes along their de facto border in the disputed Kashmir region known as the Line of Control.
On Thursday, Pakistan's army alleged Indian fire from across the Kashmir frontier hit a school van, killing the driver and forcing residents to flee. There has been no comment from India.
The U.S. intelligence assessment report has also warned of escalating tension in the event of a major terrorist attack in India or an increase in violence on the Kashmir Line of Control.
Pakistan's fragile relations with the U.S. have deteriorated lately over allegations Islamabad covertly maintains ties with the Taliban and other militant groups fighting American forces in Afghanistan.
Pakistani authorities deny any links with the militants.
https://www.voanews.com/a/pakistan-slams-us-intelligence-threat-report-cites-bias/4256060.html
Pakistan’s anti-terror financing measures cause of concern: US
WASHINGTON: The United States (US) has said the international community has concerns about the government of Pakistan not rectifying deficiencies in the implementation of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism strategies.
In response to a question about a US motion to put Pakistan on a global terrorist financing watch-list with an anti-money laundering monitoring group, US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauret said: “There’s a plenary session that’s planned for that.”
“This is basically the international community has this sort of longstanding, well, concern when it comes to the Government of Pakistan about what we consider to be deficiencies in the implementation of anti-money laundering, counter-terrorism, and other types of issues similar to that.”
The US along with its European allies has put forward a motion to put Pakistan on a global terrorism-financing watch-list with Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
Nauret explained the group is aimed to promote better measures to crack down on counter-terrorism or to work against terrorism and also money laundering as well.
To a question about Pakistan having introduced an ordinance that all individuals or organizations designated as a terrorist by the United Nations will be considered as a terrorist in Pakistan too, she said “I don’t have any information on that.”
President Donald Trump’s administration has been accusing Pakistan for assisting militants in Afghanistan and India but Pakistan had been categorically denying the accusations.
Previously, the country had been on the FATF watchlist from 2012 to 2015.
Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s Adviser for Finance and Economic Affairs Miftah Ismail, told Reuters that the United States and Britain put forward the motion several weeks ago, and later persuaded France and Germany to co-sponsor it.
“We are now working with the U.S., UK, Germany and France for the nomination to be withdrawn,” Ismail said, speaking by telephone from Europe. “We are also quite hopeful that even if the U.S. did not withdraw the nomination we will prevail and not be put on the watch-list.”
https://arynews.tv/en/intl-community-pakistan-terrorism-financing/
Pakistan has criticized as "extremely unfortunate" a new U.S. report labeling the south Asian country's weapons a continued threat to regional American interests.
The annual global threat assessment notes that Pakistan continues to produce and develop new types of nuclear weapons, including short-range tactical weapons, sea-based cruise missiles, and longer-range ballistic missiles.
"These new types of nuclear weapons will introduce new risks for escalation dynamics and security in the region," said the report, which has been sent to a congressional committee for review.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Faisal criticized the report Thursday for its "singular negative focus" on Pakistan.
FILE - Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Faisal briefs journalists in Islamabad, Pakistan, Feb. 4, 2018.
He told a weekly news conference in Islamabad that "any credible threat assessment" would have cautioned about what Pakistan alleges are India's "fastest growing" stockpiles of nuclear weapons.
"We have consistently maintained that Pakistan's nuclear posture is purely defensive, in order to deter the aggressive designs of its hostile neighbor in the east," Faisal said in a direct reference to rival India. The U.S. report "smacks of partisanship," he concluded.
Washington is particularly worried about Islamabad's short-range small nuclear weapons because U.S. officials believe their introduction into the Pakistani army's arsenal has increased chances of nuclear conflict in the region.
Pakistani officials maintain the nation's short-range battlefield NASR (Hatf-IX) nuclear-capable missile would deter bigger neighbor India from imposing a sudden, limited assault with conventional forces under New Delhi's "Cold Start" doctrine.
The military announced last year it had enhanced NASR's flight maneuverability and extended its range to 70 kilometers from 60.
Kashmir
Rawalpindi, Islamabad Pakistan, Line of Control, Kashmir
India and Pakistan have fought three wars and the two nuclear-armed nations remain locked in routine military skirmishes along their de facto border in the disputed Kashmir region known as the Line of Control.
On Thursday, Pakistan's army alleged Indian fire from across the Kashmir frontier hit a school van, killing the driver and forcing residents to flee. There has been no comment from India.
The U.S. intelligence assessment report has also warned of escalating tension in the event of a major terrorist attack in India or an increase in violence on the Kashmir Line of Control.
Pakistan's fragile relations with the U.S. have deteriorated lately over allegations Islamabad covertly maintains ties with the Taliban and other militant groups fighting American forces in Afghanistan.
Pakistani authorities deny any links with the militants.
https://www.voanews.com/a/pakistan-slams-us-intelligence-threat-report-cites-bias/4256060.html
Pakistan’s anti-terror financing measures cause of concern: US
WASHINGTON: The United States (US) has said the international community has concerns about the government of Pakistan not rectifying deficiencies in the implementation of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism strategies.
In response to a question about a US motion to put Pakistan on a global terrorist financing watch-list with an anti-money laundering monitoring group, US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauret said: “There’s a plenary session that’s planned for that.”
“This is basically the international community has this sort of longstanding, well, concern when it comes to the Government of Pakistan about what we consider to be deficiencies in the implementation of anti-money laundering, counter-terrorism, and other types of issues similar to that.”
The US along with its European allies has put forward a motion to put Pakistan on a global terrorism-financing watch-list with Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
Nauret explained the group is aimed to promote better measures to crack down on counter-terrorism or to work against terrorism and also money laundering as well.
To a question about Pakistan having introduced an ordinance that all individuals or organizations designated as a terrorist by the United Nations will be considered as a terrorist in Pakistan too, she said “I don’t have any information on that.”
President Donald Trump’s administration has been accusing Pakistan for assisting militants in Afghanistan and India but Pakistan had been categorically denying the accusations.
Previously, the country had been on the FATF watchlist from 2012 to 2015.
Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s Adviser for Finance and Economic Affairs Miftah Ismail, told Reuters that the United States and Britain put forward the motion several weeks ago, and later persuaded France and Germany to co-sponsor it.
“We are now working with the U.S., UK, Germany and France for the nomination to be withdrawn,” Ismail said, speaking by telephone from Europe. “We are also quite hopeful that even if the U.S. did not withdraw the nomination we will prevail and not be put on the watch-list.”
https://arynews.tv/en/intl-community-pakistan-terrorism-financing/
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