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| India has conveyed displeasure to US over F-16 sale | | | | For the first time the US had conveyed to Pakistan that the sale of F-16 jet fighters will not be part of any military assistance. But Pakistan has to pay for the sale of the jet fighters.It is for the first that there is dismay and displeasure among the Democrats and the Republicans in Congress over ther sale of these jet fighters to Pakistan which continues to promote terrorists and provide patronage to them. The United States has told Pakistan it will have to finance the purchase of U.S. F-16 fighter jets itself after members of the US Congress objected to the use of government funds to pay for them.The US government said in February it had approved the sale to Pakistan of up to eight F-16 fighter jets built by Lockheed Martin Corp LMT.N, as well as radar and other equipment in a deal valued at $699 million. However, Republican Senator Bob Corker said he would use his power as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to bar the use of any US funds for the deal to send a message to Pakistan that it needed to do more in the war against militants. Corker's stance reflected deep unhappiness among both Democrats and Republicans in Congress about what they see as Islamabad's policy of supporting militant groups that target Afghans and Americans, and Pakistan's failure to support the reconciliation process for Afghanistan. Congressional opposition meant funds from the US government's Foreign Military Financing allocation could not be used to purchase the aircraft. Given congressional objections, Pakistan has been told that they should put forward national funds for that purpose.Which means that Islamabad has to use national funds for procuring or purchasing F-16 jet fighters from the US. However, the State Department opposed putting conditions on the use of such funds and believed that effective engagement with Pakistan, including by supporting its counter-terrorism effort, was "critical" to promoting democracy and economic stability in the country. Earlier, in Islamabad, Syed Tariq Fatemi, special assistant on foreign affairs to Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, did not refer directly to the F-16 issue, but complained that there was a "lack of sufficient appreciation for Pakistan's whole-hearted efforts it was undertaking jointly with the US administration, in countering the threat posed by terrorism. However, India has conveyed its displeasure to Washington over the US plan on selling F-16 jet fighters to Pakistan on the ground that hitherto there has been no considerable development in the security scenario in Pakistan where terrorists of various hues continue to hit mosques, crowded places, schools, army camps and convoys. Besides this the Pakistan aided and sponsored terrorists continue to keep India and Afghanistan on the tenterhook because of triggering violence in one form or the other. India has reportedly conveyed to Washington that so far there has been no indication of major and multi-directional and multi-dimensional Army operations against the terrorist groups in Pakistan. There has been also no indication that over 40 arms training camps meant for imparting arms training to militants in Pakistan and occupied Kashmir have not been so far closed. Hence the US military aid would further strengthen the Pakistan Army which is has only one aim of waging a war against India. Besides this India has conveyed to Washington that whatever decline in the level of militants into Jammu and Kashmir has been recorded so far it is because of the great efforts of the Indian Army and the BSF whose soldiers have been retaliating even the ceasefire violations being committed by Pakistan troops for the purpose of pushing groups of militants into Jammu and Kashmir for escalating the level of violence. New Delhi has posed a major question to those western countries that are keen to sell jet fighters and other arms and ammunition to Pakistan. Does Pakistan need such a heavy supply of war material when it has no threat from its neighbouring countries, including India ? Does Pakistan need military equipment which is being supplied by China. China has cultivate Pakistan by providing heavy military and economic aid with the result Pakistan has allowed the Chinese to set up its military bases in remote areas of Pakistan occupied Kashmir including the Gilgit and Baltistan. Hence India has cautioned Washington against providing any military aid or even selling sophisticated jet figters on payment to Pakistan which could generate tension in the region and threaten peace. |
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