Asif Ali Zardari urges US to support sale of F-16 jets to Pakistan

He met Senator John McCain in Los Angeles and sought the support of the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee in getting the fighter jets

Former Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has approached the United States and sought to convince it to sell F-16 fighter aircraft to Islamabad on ground to fight the war against terror.

In a statement issued by the Sindh information department, Zardari met Senator John McCain in Los Angeles and sought the support of the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee in getting the fighter jets.

"Former President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari met Senator John McCain in Los Angeles and discussed relations between the US and Pakistan," the Dawn quoted the statement, as saying.

The statement added, "Zardari sought the senator's support for Pakistan in getting F-16s from the US and emphasised that Pakistan needs F-16 and drone technology to fight the war against terrorism which is the big threat not only for Pakistan, but the entire world."

Zardari's request to Senator McCain comes days after Adviser to the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz hinted that government reportedly plans to buy used F-16 fighter jets from Jordan after a $699 million deal to buy the aircrafts from the US failed to take off owing to the Congress refusing to sanction it.

The former president has urged the US government to review the decision.