Pakistan rejects US Director of Intelligence Gabbard’s claims on missile threat

Pakistan firmly rejected allegations made by the US Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard regarding its missile capabilities, terming them “baseless” and reiterating that its strategic programme is solely defensive in nature.

Gabbard had listed Pakistan among states that pose a significant threat to the United States, warning US lawmakers that Islamabad’s evolving missile capabilities could potentially put the American homeland within range.

Responding to media queries, Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Pakistan’s missile capabilities are designed to safeguard national sovereignty and ensure peace and stability in South Asia.

He emphasised that Pakistan’s missile programme remains well within regional parameters and is guided by the doctrine of credible minimum deterrence, particularly in relation to India.

The spokesperson highlighted that, unlike Pakistan, India has developed missile systems with ranges exceeding 12,000 kilometres, describing this trajectory as extending beyond regional security needs and raising concerns for the wider international community.

Rejecting the assertion of any potential threat posed by Pakistan, Andrabi underscored that the country’s strategic posture is responsible and restrained, aimed at maintaining a balance of power in the region.

He further stated that Pakistan remains committed to constructive engagement with the United States, stressing the need for mutual respect, non-discrimination, and factual accuracy in bilateral discourse.

Earlier, former caretaker foreign minister Jalil Abbas Jilani had also dismissed Gabbard’s statement.

In a post on X, the retired ambassador said that the assertion that the “US Homeland is within range of Pakistan’s nuclear/con missiles is not grounded in strategic reality.”

He said that Pakistan’s nuclear doctrine was “India-specific, aimed at maintaining credible deterrence in South Asia, not projecting power globally.”

Gabbard, presenting the 2026 Annual Threat Assessment before the United States Senate Intelligence Committee said, “Russia, China, North Korea, Iran and Pakistan have been researching and developing an array of novel, advanced, or traditional missile delivery systems with nuclear and conventional payloads, that put our Homeland within range.”