In a setback to Pakistan’s push to acquire eight F-16 fighter jets, the United States has made it clear to Islamabad that it will have to finance the $699 million deal on its own, without expecting any support from Washington through its FMF (Foreign Military Financing) mechanism.
This follows the US Congress’s recent conditional approval of the sale with key lawmakers letting it be known that they will not allow American taxpayers’ money to be used to subsidise the military sale to Pakistan.
“Given Congressional objections, we have told the Pakistanis that they should put forward national funds for that purpose,” State Department spokesman John Kirby said on Monday, noting that while Congress has approved the sale, key members are opposed to any FMF support.
Even as the Obama administration approved the deal in February to sell eight F-16s built by lockheed Martin Corp along with radar and other equipment, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker threated to use his power to bar the use of any US funds for the deal.
India has been strongly opposed to the deal, reasoning with Washington that Pakistan would use the fighter jets against India, rather than for its purported counter-terrorism operations. When the administration approved the deal, New Delhi lodged a formal diplomatic protest by summoning US Ambassador Richard Verma.
Meanwhile, Pakistan on Tuesday said it will buy F-16 jets from other countries if the US failed to provide agreed funds, amid reports that the State Department expressed inability to fund the $700 million deal with American tax payers’ money.
Prime Minister’s advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said that the Congressional blockade may force it to turn to other countries.
“Pakistan will buy F-16s from some other country if funding (from US) is not arranged,” Aziz said at a seminar. The two nations had agreed on $700 million deal under which Pakistan was to pay $270 million from its national funds to purchase eight F-16s while the US was supposed to finance the rest of the amount from its Foreign Military Financing (FMF) fund.
On Capitol Hill, objections from Corker and several other top lawmakers, both Democrats and Republicans, had come against the backdrop of Pakistan continuing to provide a “safe haven to terrorist groups”.
Senator Corker had fired off a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry, saying he would put a hold on the deal to bar any US financing. He, however, did not object the sale per se. And a joint resolution, introduced by Senator Rand Paul to block the sale, came unstuck with the Senate defeating the measure by 71 to 24 votes.
Questioned on the situation arising from Corker’s threat, Kirby said that the State Department, as a matter of longstanding principle, opposes conditions to the release of appropriated foreign assistance funds, noting: “We believe that such conditions limit the President and the Secretary’s ability to conduct foreign policy in the best interest of the United States.”
When the issue came up during a Congressional hearing last week, several lawmakers expressed renewed fears that Pakistan would be using the F-16s against India instead of dealing with terrorism. Republican Congressman Matt Salmon commented that these fighter jets “could ultimately be used against India or other regional powers”.
However, US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Olson justified the need for “effective engagement” with Islamabad, terming it “critical” to promote the consolidation of democratic institutions and economic stability, and support counter-terrorism activities and capabilities.
Pakistan has time till May end to avail the American offer to procure eight F-16s.