• US intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard identifies Pakistan as a significant nuclear threat to the US.
• Experts contest the idea that Pakistan's missile capabilities threaten the US homeland, stating they are India-focused.
• Analysts argue that Gabbard's assessment reflects existing US policy trends towards Pakistan.
• The growing missile threat from nations like Pakistan is projected to expand sharply by 2035.
• Former Pakistani officials assert the claims do not reflect strategic realities, focusing instead on regional deterrence.

During a recent Senate Intelligence Committee briefing, US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard labeled Pakistan alongside Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran as countries posing a significant nuclear threat to the United States. Gabbard emphasized that these nations are developing missile delivery systems that could potentially reach the US mainland, stating, “Pakistan’s long-range ballistic missile development potentially could include ICBMs with the range capable of striking the Homeland,” according to Indiatimes and Dawn.

However, former caretaker foreign minister Jalil Abbas Jilani dismissed Gabbard’s assertions. He stated that Pakistan’s nuclear strategy is specifically India-centric, focusing on maintaining credible deterrence in South Asia rather than projecting power globally. He declared that the idea of the “US Homeland is within range of Pakistan’s nuclear/con missiles is not grounded in strategic reality,” highlighting a significant disconnect between US assertions and regional military realities according to Dawn.

In her presentation, Gabbard projected an alarming increase in missile threats to the US homeland, estimating that the number of missiles could rise from over 3,000 today to more than 16,000 by 2035. She pointed out that the nations she identified would likely adapt their missile development programs based on US defensive strategies, according to Al Jazeera and Dawn.

Analysts have pointed out that Pakistan’s missile capabilities are primarily developed with India in mind, as its longest-range missile, the Shaheen-III, is capable of covering all of India but lacks the range to threaten the US. They argue that Gabbard's claims reflect a continuation of longstanding US policy that exaggerates Pakistan's military ambitions, as noted by various experts in the field according to Dawn and Al Jazeera.

Amidst these discussions, the US government has imposed sanctions targeting Pakistani entities linked to missile technology, indicating ongoing concerns regarding Islamabad's military developments. Gabbard's recent statements have been met with skepticism from Pakistani officials, who argue that such rhetoric undermines the improving diplomatic ties between the US and Pakistan while focusing as it does on unfounded fears, according to Dawn and Al Jazeera.