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'Convincing Congress of F-16 deal is Obama administration’s job'
[DAWN] In response to reports the US Congress is withholding 60 per cent of the aid earmarked for subsidising Pakistain's purchase of eight F-16 fighter jets, a Pak official has said "negotiations aren’t over yet".Tariq Fatemi, the Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, told BBC Radio in an interview that bringing Congress around to the deal is the B.O. regime’s job. According to a BBC report published on its Hindi and Urdu services, a State Department official told the BBC on the condition of anonymity that Congress will not subsidise the sale of eight F-16 jets to Pakistain at the advice of Senator Bob Corker, chair of the Senate Committee for Foreign Relations. As per the earlier arrangement, Pakistain would have paid $270 million while the US would grant the remaining $430 million for the purchase. As a result of this move, Pakistain may have to foot the bill of $700 million for the eight fighter jets. "There is a strong opposition to provide subsidised arms to other countries in the US Congress, but the B.O. regime’s offer of military aid to Pakistain still stands," Fatemi told BBC Radio. "Pakistain has already rendered great services in the war against terror, so its case is strong." Posted by: Fred 2016-05-01 |
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