ISLAMABAD – These seven Pakistani companies have been sanctioned by US.

Of seven companies to be sanctioned, Singapore-based Mushko Logistics andPakistan-based Mushko Electronics “procured items for several Pakistanientities on the Entity List”, the US bureau said in its report.

Another company, Solutions Engineering, “has been involved in theprocurement of US-origin items on behalf of nuclear-related entities inPakistan that are already listed on the Entity List”.

Three of the companies — Akhtar & Munir, Proficient Engineers and PervaizCommercial Trading Co. (PCTC) — were on the list due to “involvement in theproliferation of unsafeguarded nuclear activities that are contrary to thenational security and/or foreign policy interests of the United States”.

Marine Systems was placed on the Entity list for helping otheralready-sanctioned bodies obtain items without a licence, while Engineeringand Commercial Services (ECS) was sanctioned for “involvement in supplyinga Pakistani nuclear-related entity on the Entity List”.

The sanctions could deal a blow to Pakistan’s application to join the NSG,a 48-nation club dedicated to curbing nuclear arms proliferation bycontrolling the export and re-transfer of materials that could fosternuclear weapons development.

Nuclear-armed Pakistan applied to join the NSG in 2016 but little progresshas been made.

The United States has been concerned about Pakistan’s development of newnuclear weapons systems, including small tactical nuclear weapons, and hasbeen trying to persuade Islamabad to make a unilateral declaration of“restraint”.