Pakistan has expressed deep concern over the imposition of sanctions on Turkey by the United States. In a statement on Wednesday, Foreign Office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said that Pakistan remains opposed to imposition of unilateral coercive measures against any country in principle. He said that Pakistan acknowledges and appreciates Turkey’s invaluable role towards regional and international peace and stability. The people and the Government of Pakistan reiterate their strong support for the government and the people of Turkey in their quest for national security, peace and prosperity and will continue to stand with Turkey. Earlier, the US government imposed sanctions on Turkey over the acquisition and testing of the S-400 Russian defence missile system, further straining relations between the two NATO members. The State Department announced the sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act, passed by Congress in 2017. It is designed to penalise any significant transactions with Russia. The estimated cost of the S-400 missile system is $2.5 billion.