- FO says ‘surprised, disappointed’ at Indian government’s reaction to US decision of sanctioning sale of 8 modified fighter jets to Pakistan
- Says India itself is the largest importer of defence equipment
The Pakistani Foreign Office (FO) on Sunday expressed dismay over the Indian government’s reaction to United States’ decision to sell eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan.
“We are surprised and disappointed at the Indian government’s reaction. Their army and arsenal stock is much larger and they are the largest importer of defence equipment,” the FO spokesperson said in a statement.
With regards to the F-16 sale, he said that Pakistan and the United States were closely cooperating in countering terrorism.
US State Department Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner had earlier announced that the purpose of the sale was to enhance Pakistan’s precision strike capability.
“It is in US security interests to support Pakistan’s counter-terrorism efforts,” Toner had said.
A ‘disappointed’ India on Saturday summoned the US envoy in New Delhi, Richard Verma, to ‘convey its displeasure’ regarding the Obama administration’s decision to notify the sale of the aircraft to Pakistan. Indian Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar met the US ambassador at the ministry to convey India’s disapproval of the deal to Washington, in a meeting which lasted 45 minutes.
“We are disappointed at the decision of the Obama Administration to notify the sale of F-16 aircrafts to Pakistan. We disagree with their rationale that such arms transfers help to combat terrorism,’ the Indian External Affairs Ministry had said in a statement.
The Pentagon’s Defence Security Cooperation Agency said it had notified lawmakers about the possible sale on Thursday. It said the sale would improve Pakistan’s capability to meet current and future security threats.
The $699 million deal consists of eight Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter jets, along with training, radar and other equipment.
The F-16 aircraft will allow the Pakistan Air Force to operate in all kinds of weather, at night, as well as “enhance Pakistan’s ability to conduct counter-insurgency and counterterrorism operations,” the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency, which coordinates such foreign arms sales, said in a statement.
The proposed deal will now go through a 30-day notification period after which it will be finalised.
The new aircraft will add to Pakistan’s sizable force of fighter jets which includes more than 70 F-16s and dozens of French and Chinese attack aircraft.
Earlier in January, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif during a National Assembly briefing told lawmakers that an Indian lobby, as well as Pakistan’s former ambassador to the US are “working against us” and had approached the US House of Representatives to lobby against the sale of the fighter jets, causing a delay.