Pakistan's Foreign Ministry on Saturday dismissed as unfounded and "devoid of rationality" assertions by a senior U.S. official that its missile programme could eventually pose a threat to the United States.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Baloch responds to revelations by a White House official regarding ‘emerging threat’

In a formal statement, the ministry noted that Pakistan and the United States have shared a positive relationship since 1954. It warned that baseless allegations against Pakistan, a major non-NATO ally, risk damaging this broad-ranging partnership, particularly in the absence of evidence.

A senior White House official on Thursday said nuclear-armed Pakistan is developing long-range ballistic missile capabilities that eventually could allow it to strike targets well beyond South Asia, making it an "emerging threat" to the United States.

The United States has imposed sanctions targeting four Pakistani firms accused of being involved in Islamabad's ballistic missile program as the Biden administration targets proliferators of weapons of mass destruction.

The US sanctions come in light of the continuing proliferation threat of Pakistan’s long-range missile development.

The United States has raised concerns about Pakistan’s missile development program, claiming that the country may be building long-range missiles capable of striking targets far beyond South Asia, possibly even in the United States.

Pakistan is continuing the development of long-range ballistic missile capabilities, which could enable the country to strike targets far beyond South Asia. This makes Pakistan a new threat to the US,