US gave this answer on Jaishankar’s remarks regarding F-16 deal with Pakistan
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Sunday questioned the US administration’s decision to approve a $450 million package for Pakistan for the F-16 fighter jets and said that the US’s ties with Pakistan would benefit either country. There has been ‘no use’. At the same time, America’s reaction has come on this. The Joe Biden administration said on Monday, both India and Pakistan are America’s partners at different points.
State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters at his daily news conference, “Pakistan and India are both our partners. We look at both as partners, because we have shared values in many matters, we have common interests in many matters. Our relationship with India has its place, with Pakistan its place.
In response to a question during an interaction with Indian-Americans, Jaishankar had said, “To be honest, this relationship has neither benefited Pakistan nor did it serve America’s interests.” So now America should really think about what is the benefit of this relationship and what is they getting from it.
The US had argued that the package has been approved for the maintenance of F-16s to combat terrorism. Referring to America’s argument, Jaishankar had said that everyone knows where and against whom the F-16 is used. In response to a question, he said, “You cannot fool anyone by saying such things.”
Let us tell you that the administration of US President Joe Biden on September 8 changed the decision of the former President Donald Trump-led administration to freeze military aid to Pakistan, to provide $ 450 million in aid to Pakistan for F-16 fighter jets. was approved.
In a notification to the US Parliament, the State Department said it has decided to approve a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to Pakistan for maintenance of F-16 fighter jets. The ministry had argued that this would help Islamabad maintain its ability to deal with current and future threats of terrorism.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, in a conversation with US Defense Minister Lloyd Austin, had expressed concern on behalf of India over America’s decision to give a package for the maintenance of Pakistan’s F-16 fighter aircraft fleet.
