ISLAMABAD – Federal Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Tuesday revealed India is lobbying against Pakistan in the US and a former Pakistani ambassador is also campaigning along with India to malign the country and to block delivery of F-16 fighter jets.
Addressing in the Lower House of the Parliament, the defence minister said that Pakistan was trying to acquire eight F-16 fighter jets from the US on lease but the former ambassador was trying to block the delivery. “The Obama administration is committed to supply eight F-16 fighter jets despite efforts by India and former Pakistani ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani to block the delivery,” he said.
He told the House that the US was committed to supply eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan despite Indian efforts to block delivery. Confirming anti-Pakistan lobbies in the US, he said that India was also actively lobbying against Pakistan.
The defence minister’s statement comes days after reports said that the US Congress has stalled Obama administration’s planned sale of eight F-16 jets to Pakistan. The move was stalled as some congressmen raised questions about the use of the combat aircraft and the relationship between the two countries itself.
“Being aware of the importance of F-16 and JF-17 jets in Zarb-e-Azb military operation and other anti-terrorist operations, the US is committed to supply Pakistan with eight F-16 fighter jets,” the defence minister said.
In October last year, the Obama administration said that it was preparing to sell eight new F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan, an overture intended to bolster a tenuous partnership despite persistent concerns about Islamabad’s ties to elements of the Taliban and quickly expanding nuclear arsenal.
He said that associating terrorism with the Muslim world was wrong and that the Saudi-led 34-nation alliance was not against any country as the alliance had no military objectives and aimed at to prepare a joint counter-terrorism narrative.
On Pakistan’s mediation between Saudi Arabia and Iran, he said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s meeting with Saudi leadership was very encouraging and there was a good response from Saudi Arabia. He said the prime minister was holding talks with the Iranian leadership today (Tuesday) under the same spirit and hoped that his visit would be successful.
Asif said that the aim of the visit was to defuse tensions between the two Muslim countries as well as aimed to remove irritants emerged in the unity of Muslim Ummah. He pointed out that Pakistan was playing a mediation role which was also a desire of the Parliament.
DAILY TIMES.
YEMI.
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