US asks Pak to make full payment for F-16, no subsidy

The Obama administration has  asked Pakistan to "put forward" its "national funds" to buy  the eight F-16 fighter jets as some top American Senators  have put a hold on use of the US tax payers' money for this  purpose.

"While Congress has approved the sale, key members have  made clear that they object to using FMF (foreign military  financing) to support it. Given Congressional objections, we  have told the Pakistanis that they should put forward national  funds for that purpose," US State Department spokesman John  Kirby told reporters at his daily news conference yesterday.

Kirby, however, did not say when this decision was taken  and when was it communicated to Pakistan.

On February 11, the State Department had informed the  Congress about its determination for selling eight the fighter  jets to Pakistan at an estimated cost of USD 700 million. The  move was opposed by the Indian government as it summoned the  US Ambassador to India, Richard Verma, to lodge its protest.

Here in the US, top American lawmakers led by Senator Bob  Corker, Chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations  Committee, put a hold on the sale arguing that it would not  let the Obama administration use tax payers' money for sale of  the fighter jets to Pakistan given that Islamabad was not  taking enough action against terrorist organisations, in  particular the Haqqani network, and there was continued  existence of terrorist safe havens inside its territory.

Several Indian American organisations reached out to  lawmakers expressing their concern over such a sale, which  they argued is nothing but rewarding a bad actor.

last week, top American lawmakers during a Congressional  hearing openly told the Obama administration that they feared  Pakistan would be using these F-16 fighter jets against India  and not against terrorists. 

However, both the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan and the Pakistan government insisted that F-16 is  an important tool in the fight against terrorism and urged the  Congress to remove the hold. The lawmakers stood their ground  and told the Obama administration that it will not till the  time Pakistan takes tangible action against the Haqqani  network.

On the occasion of fifth anniversary of the killing of  Osama bin laden, the al Qaeda leader at a safe hideout in  Abbottabad on the outskirts of a Pakistan Army garrison town,  by American commandos, the US publicly announced that it has  asked Pakistan to use its national resources to buy F-16. 

In saying so, the US expressed its disappointment over the  Congressional hold. "Effective engagement with Pakistan, we  believe, is critical to promoting the consolidation of  democratic institutions and economic stability in supporting  the government's counterterrorism activities and  capabilities," Kirby said.

"As a matter of long-standing principle, the Department of  State opposes conditions to the release of appropriated  foreign assistance funds. 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,"  Kirby said.