India is frustrated over the sale of eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan, the reason U.S. Ambassador Richard Verma was summoned on Saturday. Indian Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar expressed in behalf of India his disappointment of selling Pakistan the fighter aircrafts that meant India's protests were disregarded.
On Thursday, Pentagon imparts the decision to the U.S. Congress and was announced on Friday by the U.S. government. India was "disappointed at the decision of the Obama administration to notify the sale of F-16 aircrafts to Pakistan', as stated on early Saturday morning by the Ministry of External Affairs.
Officials will surely ratify and tackle the issue in Washington with the Obama administration. India believes that these fighter jets will only empower Islamabad's capability of threatening New Delhi, reports The Hindu.
"We are disappointed at the decision of the Obama Administration to notify the sale of F-16 aircrafts to Pakistan. We disagree with their rationale that such arms transfer help to combat terrorism. The record of the last many years in this regard speaks for itself. The US Ambassador will be summoned by the Ministry of External Affairs to convey our displeasure," the MEA emphasized in a strongly worded statement on Saturday.
Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker notified Secretary of State John Kerry on Feb. 9, that he would hinder the F-16 fighter jets sale to Pakistan by the Obama administration. He stated the relationship between Islamabad and Haqqani network, as reported by The Economic Times.
India is troubled that selling these jet fighters to Pakistan will unbalance the regions military. Oppositely, Washington thinks that strategic situation of Pakistan which is next to Afghanistan would make a productive associate during war against worldwide terror. However, Pakistan allows operation of a large number of militant groups outside its territory.
Britain gave India and Pakistan their independence in 1947. Since then the two countries have fought three battles. Pakistan has been accused by India of support and refuge of terrorist groups targeting Indians, according to abc NEWS.
The sale of the F-16 fighter jets is to fight terrorism but India is convinced that Pakistan will use it against them. This move disappoints India a lot and takes the matter to Washington. From 2002 to 2014, Pakistan has been buying military equipment from the U.S. as stated by the Congressional Research Service that reached almost $5.4 billion.
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