Washington: The United States Government said that it has approved the sale of eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan built by Lockheed Martin Corp, radar and other equipment in a deal valued at 699 million dollars.
The Dawn reports that Pentagon’s Defence Security Cooperation Agency which oversees foreign arms sales said it had notified lawmakers about the possible deal.
The proposed deal will go through a 30-day notification period after which it will be finalized.
The agency said that F-16s would allow Pakistan’s Air Force to operate in all weather environments and at night, improving its self-defense capability and bolstering its ability to conduct counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations.
India said it was disappointed with decision of US.
‘We disagree with their rationale those arms transfers help to combat terrorism,’ Vikas Swarup, spokesperson for India’s Foreign Ministry, said on Twitter.
Lawmakers have 30 days to block the sale, although such action is rare since deals are well-vetted before any formal notification.(ANI)