Pakistain had earlier reached an understanding with the US for buying eight F-16 planes. Under the deal, Pakistain was required to pay about $270m from its national funds. The US was supposed to provide the rest from its Foreign Military Financing (FMF) fund.
But at a congressional hearing on Wednesday, US politicians made it clear that they would not allow the B.O. regime to use US funds for the deal.
On Friday, a State Department official told Dawn that Congress had placed a hold on the deal, forbidding the administration from using US funds for enabling Pakistain to buy the planes.
Pakistan will get jets from elsewhere if F-16 funding not arranged, Aziz cautions US
[DAWN] Pakistain will acquire jets from elsewhere if the United States (US) does not arrange funding for a previously agreed upon F-16 fighter jet sale, Sartaj
PrunefaceAziz
...Adviser to Pak Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on National Security and Foreign Affairs, who believes in goodjihadis and
badjihadis as a matter of national policy...
, the prime minister's adviser on foreign affairs, cautioned the US as both countries lock horns over the purchase of the jets.
"If funding is arranged, Pakistain will get the F-16s, otherwise we will opt for jets from some other place," Aziz said, without clarifying which jets he was referring to and where they would be bought from.
| They could buy French Rafales at double the cost... |
The US gives Pakistain $265 million as part of foreign military assistance, in previous years it was $300 million. The amount received is split between the three branches of the armed forces. Pakistain Air Force's (PAF) share is $80 million, which they had allocated for the last three years to buy the jets, added Aziz.
"The funding we received was part of normal military funding received from US, and not specifically meant for the purchase of F-16s. The US has informed us that we can use the funds for purchase of other military equipment and items, but not F-16s."