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• Rejects Gabbard’s characterisation of missile programme as threat to US; urges Washington to adopt more ‘measured, considered approach’
• Slams Israeli envoy’s ‘rogue state’ remark; cites actions in Gaza as ‘real record of aggression, rogue conduct’
ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office launched a diplomatic counteroffensive on Thursday, rejecting two pieces of external criticism; the US intel chief’s claim that its missile capabilities threaten the US, and remarks by the Israeli ambassador to India about being a ‘rogue state’.
The dual rebukes came after US Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, testified before Congress about potential long-range threats from Pakistan.
In a formal statement, the Foreign Office addressed Gabbard’s assessment, which listed Pakistan among several nations developing missile systems that could endanger the United States.
“Pakistan categorically rejects the recent assertion by a US official alleging a potential threat from Pakistan’s missile capabilities,” said FO spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi. He insisted the country’s strategic capabilities are “exclusively defensive in nature, aimed at safeguarding national sovereignty and maintaining peace and stability in South Asia.”
Andrabi emphasised that Pakistan’s missile program is centred on deterrence in its relationship with neighbouring India. “Its missile programme, which remains well below intercontinental range, is firmly rooted in the doctrine of credible minimum deterrence vis-à-vis India,” he said.
In contrast, he added, “India’s development of missile capabilities exceeding 12,000 kilometres reflects a trajectory that extends beyond regional security considerations and is certainly a cause of concern for the neighbourhood and beyond.”
The statement concluded with a call for more measured dialogue. “We urge a more measured and considered approach that aligns with South Asia’s strategic imperatives and advances peace, security, and stability across the region,” it said.
Gabbard made her comments on Wednesday while presenting the 2026 Annual Threat Assessment to the US Senate Intelligence Committee. She named Russia, China, North Korea, Iran and Pakistan as countries whose missile programs “put our Homeland within range”.
Rebuke to Israel
Meanwhile, the FO on Thursday also rejected comments made by Israel’s ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, calling them baseless and deflecting from his own country’s actions.
“We firmly reject this baseless characterisation,” the FO statement said. “The real record of aggression and rogue conduct is evident in the illegal occupation, the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, and the indictment of Israeli leadership in international courts.”
The statement was issued after a video of Azar’s interview with sensationalist Indian news anchor Arnab Goswami circulated online. Asked about a 2025 mutual defence pact between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, Azar alluded to a nuclear-armed country in the region.
“Pakistanis have been having relations with countries in the Arab world in the past, including with our enemies. This is something that we have been contemplating for a long period of time. I haven’t seen right now … the Pakistani army coming to the defence of Saudi Arabia against Iran,” he said.
“There is one rogue state that already has nuclear weapons. You don’t want to have a second one,” Azar added, without naming the country.
The Foreign Office concluded its statement by drawing a sharp distinction. “Responsible states uphold international law — not deflect from it,” it said.
Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2026
