Foreign Office Spokesman Nafees Zakariya has said the proposed sale of F-16 aircrafts by the United States to Pakistan is still under discussion between the two countries.
Mr. Zakariya stated this while commenting on media reports regarding the cutting of financial subsidy for the sale of the aircraft by the United States.
He said that coordinated efforts are needed at international level to tackle the menace of terrorism and the responsibility to eliminate terrorism cannot be placed on one country.
Read more: F-16s sale on the line, US Congress stops USD 430 million aid to Pakistan
The Spokesman said Pakistan and the United States are cooperating in the fight against terrorism. He pointed out that provision of F-16s to Pakistan will enhance its anti-terrorism capability.
Couple of days back, US Senate said Pakistan will have to pay for the eight F-16 fighter jets which are being brought from the United States after the Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee stopped Washington from paying its half of the deal,
For eight fighter jets worth $700 million, Pakistan had to pay $270 million and remainder $430 million of the cost was to be paid by the United States .
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However, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Bob Corker has stopped the American administration to make its part of the payment for the jets.
Corker had notified the Obama administration that he would not approve using U.S. funds to pay for the planes under the foreign military financing (FMF) program.
F-16s would allow Pakistan’s Air Force to operate in all-weather environments and at night, while improving its self-defense capability and bolstering its ability to conduct counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations.
On 22nd October 2015, the U.S. administration announced to sell eight new F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan in order to bolster a tenuous partnership between the two countries.
Read more: F-16s effective in Pakistan's war against terrorism: US State Dept
Pakistan’s Minister of Defence Khawaja Asif has said that the Indian lobby did not want Pakistan to obtain F-16s.
