ISTANBUL

Islamabad on Thursday rejected claims by the US' Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard of a potential threat from Pakistan's missile capability.

Pakistan's strategic capabilities are "exclusively defensive in nature, aimed at safeguarding national sovereignty and maintaining peace and stability in South Asia," said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi.

Gabbard said Wednesday that "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," in testimony to the US Senate Intelligence Committee.

Pakistan's missile program, "which remains well below intercontinental range, is firmly rooted in the doctrine of credible minimum deterrence vis-à-vis India," said Andrabi, adding that India's "development of missile capabilities exceeding 12,000 kilometers" reflects a trajectory extending "beyond regional security considerations and is certainly a cause of concern for the neighborhood and beyond."

Islamabad is committed to "constructive engagement" with Washington, "anchored in mutual respect, discrimination, and factual accuracy," said the spokesman, urging "a more measured and considered approach that aligns with South Asia's strategic imperatives and advances peace, security, and stability across the region."