Even as top lawmakers introduced resolutions in both Houses of US Congress this week to oppose the proposed sale of eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan, the Obama administration has strongly defended its decision in the name of aiding Islamabad bolster its anti-terror operations.
Facing sharp criticism over the decision, Secretary of State John Kerry told a Congressional hearing that the F-16s have been “a critical part of the Pakistani fight against the terrorists in the western part of that country, and have been effective in that fight”.
While maintaining that the US tries to be sensitive to the military balance with respect to India, Kerry told the lawmakers, “Needless to say, we don’t want to do things that upset the balance. But we do believe that Pakistan is engaged legitimately in a very tough fight against identifiable terrorists in their country that threaten Pakistan.”
At the House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, Ami Bera, the only Indian-American Congressman and a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said Pakistan must prove that it is taking substantive steps to go after all terrorist groups in the country before the US moves forward with the sale of F-16s.
“So far, Pakistan has not shown willingness to go after groups like the Haqqani network and lashkar-e-Taiba, which is why I cannot support a sale at this time. Furthermore, in the event that we do proceed with a sale, US taxpayers should not subsidize the cost of the F-16s. If Pakistan wants to buy the planes they should pay for them.”
It has been a strong bipartisan opposition to the proposed sale in both chambers. Republican lawmaker Dana Rohrabacher introduced a joint resolution in the House of Representatives on Thursday “to express Congress’s disapproval of an arms deal with Pakistan that includes the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan”.
“The Government of Pakistan has been using weapons from the Unites States to repress its own citizens and especially the people of Baluchistan,” Rohrabacher said, highlighting Islamabad’s “arrogant and hostile actions” against the man who helped bring al-Qaeda leader Osama bin laden to justice — Dr Shakil Afridi.
The arrest of Dr. Afridi and his continued detention in a cage signified “a declaration of hostility toward the United States”, the California Congressman said, adding, “Our Government should not provide military equipment to Pakistan, let alone F-16s, as long as they are holding Dr Afridi.”
Another resolution opposing the F-16s sale was moved separately in the Senate a day earlier by Republican Senator Rand Paul, who called Pakistan a “duplicitous” nation with a record of supporting terrorism.
“Though the Pakistan Government has been considered America’s ally in the fight on terrorism, Pakistan’s behaviour would suggest otherwise,” Paul said in a statement, adding: “While we give them billions of dollars in aid, we are simultaneously aware of their intelligence and military apparatus assisting the Afghan Taliban.”