WASHINGTON: Pakistan on Monday in the initial round of strategic talks with United States has said that contentious sale of F-16 fighter jets would strengthen country’s ability to mount counter-terrorist operations and promote regional stability.
The US government approved in mid February the sale of the aircraft, radar and electronic warfare equipment to Pakistan in a deal worth nearly $700 million.
The deal was opposed by India, which caught wide criticism from some US lawmakers.
Foreign Affairs Adviser Sartaj Aziz said he appreciated the US leadership’s public assessment that Pakistan uses F-16s effectively against terrorists.
Aziz urged the Obama administration to do more “to bring Congress fully in the picture about the positive steps taken by Pakistan to further our mutual interests and the very significant change in ground realities that has taken place in the past two-and-a-half years,”.
Kerry did not mention the F-16s sale in his remarks on Monday, but he commended Pakistan’s counter terrorism operations, including in North Waziristan, a tribal area where militants have launched cross-border attacks into Afghanistan.
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