Pakistan on Thursday strongly rejected the US Director of National Intelligence’s allegations about its missile capabilities, calling them "baseless" and reiterating that its strategic agenda is solely defensive in nature. U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has listed Pakistan among states that pose a significant threat to the United States, warning U.S. lawmakers that Islamabad’s evolving missile capabilities could potentially put U.S. territory within range. Responding to media queries, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Pakistan’s missile capabilities are designed to safeguard national sovereignty and ensure peace and stability in South Asia. He stressed that Pakistan’s missile program remains well within regional parameters and is guided by the doctrine of credible minimum deterrence, particularly against India. The spokesperson pointed out that, unlike Pakistan, India has developed missile systems with a range of more than 12,000 kilometers, describing this trajectory as going beyond regional security needs and raising concerns for the international community at large. Dismissing the assertion of any potential threat posed by Pakistan, Andrabi stressed that the country’s strategic posture is responsible and restrained, aimed at maintaining a balance of power in the region. He further said that Pakistan remained committed to constructive engagement with the United States, emphasizing the need for mutual respect, non-discrimination and factual accuracy in bilateral discourse. The spokesperson called for a more measured and informed approach to South Asia’s strategic environment, noting that such an approach is essential to promoting lasting peace, security and stability in the region. Earlier on Thursday, outgoing former Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani also rejected Gabbard’s statement. In a post on X, the former foreign minister argued that the assertion that the "US homeland is within nuclear/conservative missile range of Pakistan and not anchored in strategic reality". He said Pakistan’s nuclear doctrine was "Specific to India, aimed at maintaining credible deterrence in South Asia, not projecting power globally". On Wednesday, Gabbard, presenting the annual threat assessment for 2026 before the US Senate Intelligence Committee, said: "Russia, China, North Korea, Iran and Pakistan have researched and developed a range of new, advanced and traditional missile launch systems, with nuclear and conventional payloads, that bring our homeland within range."
"Pakistan’s development of long-range ballistic missiles could potentially include ICBMs with a range capable of striking the country," she said. Gabbard said the nations identified in the threat assessment report "will likely seek to understand U.S. plans for advanced missile defense…with the goal of shaping their own missile development programs and assessing U.S. intentions for deterrence."
She added that the intelligence community predicts a sharp increase in missile threats over the next decade. "Threats to the homeland will collectively expand to more than 16,000 missiles by 2035, up from the current estimated figure of more than 3,000 missiles."
