US to sell 8 F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan: Report

The US is planning to sell eight new F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan though it is unclear if the Congress will agree to the deal amid concerns among lawmakers whether the advanced aircraft would be used against India than for counterterrorism, a media report said today.
According to a report in the New York Times, the Congress was notified about the proposed sale of F-16s just days ahead of the Oval Office meeting between US President Barack Obama and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
At the same time, the daily said that many in the Congress fear that F-16 jets are more useful to Pakistan in its long confrontation with India than for counterterrorism.

Sharif landed in the US on Tuesday on a state visit, and is scheduled to meet Obama today.
The new F-16s would add to Pakistan's sizeable force of fighter jets which include more than 70 F-16s and dozens of French and Chinese attack aircraft, it said.
The report, however, added that "it is unclear if Congress will approve the deal".

Earlier in April, the US State Department approved Pakistan's request for a billion dollars worth of military hardware and equipment, identifying Pakistan as a country of vital importance for US foreign policy and national interests.
By deciding to sell F-16 jets to Pakistan, the Obama Administration has ignored concerns about Islamabad's "ties to elements of the Taliban and quickly expanding nuclear arsenal" with the hope that such a move would "bolster" a tenuous partnership, the paper reported.

Pakistan's Dawn newspaper reported that in May this year, the US handed over to Pakistan over 14 combat aircraft, 59 military trainer jets and 374 armoured personnel carriers.
The weapons supplied to Pakistan were earlier used by American forces in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The Republican-controlled Congress has put a hold on USD 300 million Coalition Support Fund to the Pakistan unless the US Defence Secretary certifies that Pakistan is taking strong action against the Haqqani network.
So far the Defence Secretary has not been able to furnish such a certification to the Congress.
In March the House Foreign Affairs Committee put a hold on about USD 150 million in foreign military financing.