Pakistan firmly committed to minimum credible deterrence policy: Masood Khan
Islamabad: Pakistan’s former ambassador to the United States, Masood Khan, has firmly rejected Western allegations that Pakistan is developing intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of striking the US, calling the claims baseless and politically motivated.
According to Kashmir Media Service, in an article published in Global South World titled “Strategic Gaslighting: The Myth of Pakistan’s ICBMs,” Masood Khan termed such assertions a deliberate attempt to distort Pakistan’s defensive posture. He stressed that Pakistan has consistently adhered to its policy of maintaining minimum credible deterrence, aimed purely at ensuring regional stability.
He explained that Pakistan’s longest-range missile, Shaheen-III, with a range of 2,750 kilometers, was developed solely to deter potential Indian aggression and to bring India’s strategic assets in the Indian Ocean—particularly the Andaman and Nicobar Islands—within range. “Pakistan has neither developed nor intends to develop intercontinental ballistic missiles,” he emphasized, adding that Pakistan remains the only nuclear-armed state without such a capability.
Masood Khan dismissed the notion that Pakistan’s defense research reflects anti-US intentions, reminding that Pakistan–US relations have historically been rooted in strategic cooperation. He termed as “factually incorrect” the claim that Pakistan seeks to build ICBMs to dissuade Washington from supporting India, calling it part of a misleading narrative that ignores Islamabad’s consistent and responsible role in South Asia.
He noted that during the recent India–Pakistan clashes in May, the US leadership—particularly President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio—chose diplomacy over bias, facilitating a ceasefire and promoting regional stability. Pakistan, he said, welcomed and supported this balanced approach.
Masood Khan questioned the selective silence over India’s Agni-V with a range of up to 8,000 km and MIRV-capable Agni-VI missile programs if ICBM development is considered a sign of hostility. He said this double standard reflects an “Indo-centric bias” that influenced past US administrations.
He highlighted that India is rapidly expanding its military footprint by establishing bases in Tajikistan, Oman, Madagascar, Mauritania, and Seychelles while accelerating its ICBM program—moves that have escalated the regional arms race. In contrast, Pakistan, he emphasized, has always acted with restraint and kept its defense posture limited, proportionate, and responsible.
Masood Khan urged Western media and policymakers to adopt intellectual honesty and avoid fear-driven, speculative narratives that misrepresent Pakistan’s defensive and stabilizing role in the region.
