NEW DELHI: Pak’s long range missile system is meant to target Indian cities.
Three Chinese companies and one Belarus-based company have been sanctioned by the Joe Biden administration after it was revealed that these companies were supplying missile-making material to Pakistan for its long range ballistic missile program. Pakistan’s long range missile system has been developed keeping Indian cities as its target.
This is the second time in less than a year that Pakistan’s attempts to build systems to deliver weapons of mass destruction have led to strict action by Washington.
The missile development program, which is a highly costly exercise, is continuing even as per the assessment of the World Bank, Pakistan’s economy is facing one of its worst crises. Islamabad is mostly dependent on external financing from the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and countries like Saudi Arabia and China to keep itself afloat.
The concern among those who keep a watch on Pakistan’s missile program is Beijing using Pakistan-based missiles and the launching capabilities of Islamabad for its own strategic use in the coming years.
The three Chinese companies that have been sanctioned by Washington on Friday are Xi’an Longde Technology Development Company Limited, Tianjin Creative Source International Trade Company Limited and Granpect Company Limited.
The Belarus government controlled “Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant”, which has been supplying special vehicle chassis to Pakistan that are used as launch-support equipment for ballistic missiles too has been sanctioned. The company is a part of the Belarusian State Authority for Military Industry of the Republic of Belarus (a.k.a. SAMI or State Military Industrial Committee), which is responsible for the creation of modern sophisticated weapons, military and special hardware for the Belarus military.
Earlier in October last year, three more Chinese companies—General Technology Limited, Beijing Luo Luo Technology Development Company Limited and Changzhou Utek Composite Company Limited were sanctioned for supplying missile production items to Pakistan.
All these sanctions are placed under Executive Order 13382 of the US government, which was brought into existence on 28 June 2005 to stop the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction and the means of delivering them. The Executive Order blocks the property of specially designated WMD proliferators and members of their support networks. The action effectively denies those parties access to the US financial and commercial systems. Additionally, all individuals or entities that have ownership—either directly or indirectly—of 50% or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked.
All transactions by US persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons are also prohibited.
It also prohibits making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any blocked person or entity and the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.
The action by Washington under this order also impacts the operation of the individual or the entity in countries who are allies of the US.
The three Chinese companies that have been sanctioned this time were supplying missile-related equipment, including a filament winding machine that is used in winding machines to produce rocket motor cases. Pakistani scientists were also receiving stir welding equipment (which is used to manufacture propellant tanks used in space launch vehicles), a linear accelerator system (which is used in the inspection of solid rocket motors) and equipment for testing of large diameter rocket motors.
The Pakistani entities that have been impacted by the sanction are the Islamabad-based National Development Complex (NDC), which is responsible for the development of Missile Technology Control Regime Category (MTCR) I ballistic missiles and Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) (Pakistan’s equivalent to ISRO and NASA), which also produces missiles.
The Chinese companies that were banned in October last year were supplying brazing materials that are used to join components in ballistic missile rocket engines, and in the production of combustion chambers.
They were also found to be delivering mandrels and other machinery, which can be used in the production of solid‐propellant rocket motors, D‐glass glass fiber, quartz fabric, and high silica cloth, all of which have applications in missile systems.
Pakistan has a large arsenal of both ballistic and cruise missiles, most of which have either been developed in collaboration with Chinese engineers or have been simply given a Pakistani name after bringing them from China.
In 1961, Pakistan was sending its engineers to Washington to learn how to develop missiles, which led to it successfully testing its first rocket in June 1962. In 1989, it tested the Hatf series of missiles, which were essentially inspired from French rockets that the Pakistani and Chinese engineers had got their hands on. After Washington imposed the Pressler sanction on Islamabad in October 1990, which prohibited military assistance and transfers of military equipment or technology to Pakistan, Pakistani leaders and military personnel clandestinely started developing its missile program with help from Pyongyang and Beijing.
In 1996, Taiwan and Hong Kong seized several tons of ammonium perchlorate (AP), a solid-propellant component, bound for Islamabad. It was being sent from North Korea through China. However, as Pakistan’s missile arsenal suggests, despite facing questions and sanctions, it has continued to add more and more missiles.