Seven Pakistani companies red-flagged by US Bureau of Industry, Security
26 Mar 2018
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Seven Pakistani companies have been added to a list of foreign entities allegedly engaging in nuclear trade by the US Bureau of Industry and Security.
Their inclusion in the ‘Entity list’ is seen as the ‘highest level of red-flag’ in the US export control regime, which aims at preventing misuse or repurposing of American dual-use technology.
According to analysts, the US move could undermine Pakistan’s efforts to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), which includes countries that can trade in nuclear technology.
According to the US Bureau of Industry and Security, the seven Pakistani companies were “reasonably believed to be involved, or to pose a significant risk of being or becoming involved, in activities contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the US.”
Three of the seven Pakistani companies were listed for “their involvement in the proliferation of unsafeguarded nuclear activities that were contrary to the national security and/or foreign policy interests of the US.”
Two were accused of getting supplies for nuclear-related entities already on the list, while the remaining two were accused of acting as fronts for listed entities. An eighth Pakistani company operates out of Singapore.
