Pakistan will get F-16 fighter jets from elsewhere if the US does not arrange funding for the sale, Sartaj Aziz, the prime minister’s adviser on foreign affairs, warned the US as both countries lock horns over the purchase of the multirole warplanes.
Pakistan had earlier decided to buy eight F-16 jets from US. As part of the deal, Pakistan was required to pay about $270 million from its national fund. The US was supposed to provide the rest from its Foreign Military Financing Fund.
But at a congressional hearing, US lawmakers last Wednesday expressed clearly that they would not let the Obama administration use US funds for the deal.
Last Friday, a State Department official informed Dawn that Congress had placed a hold on the deal, stopping the administration from using US funds for helping Pakistan buy the warplanes.
On Monday, the department confirmed that Pakistan will have to use its own funds to buy the planes.
The latest announcement actually kills the deal as Pakistan may not be able to buy the planes at a price that is two-and-half times more than earlier agreed.
Aziz said though Pakistan valued the F-16s for their effectiveness, they could be replaced by JF-17 Thunder jets in its anti-terrorism campaign, Dawn reported.