International
oi-Madhuri Adnal
Washington,
Sep
26:
External
Affairs
Minister
S
Jaishankar
on
Sunday
raised
questions
on
the
Biden
administration’s
approval
of
a
USD
450-million
sustenance
package
for
F-16
fleet
and
said
that
America’s
relationship
with
Pakistan
has
“not
served” either
of
the
two
countries.
Affairs
Minister
S
Jaishankar
“it’s
a
relationship
that
has
neither
ended
up
serving
Pakistan
well,
nor
serving
the
American
interests.
So,
it
is
really
for
the
United
States
today
to
reflect
on
what
are
the
merits
of
this
relationship
and
what
do
they
get
by
it,”
Jaishankar
said
at
an
event
organised
by
the
Indian
American
community
in
Washington.
F-16
sales
to
Pakistan
problematic
for
India
Referring
to
the
argument
made
by
the
US
that
F-16
sustenance
package
is
to
fight
terrorism,
he
said
everybody
knows
where
and
against
whom
F-16
are
used.
“You’re
not
fooling
anybody
by
saying
these
things,”
he
said
in
response
to
a
question.
Early
this
month,
the
Biden
administration
approved
a
USD
450
million
F-16
fighter
jet
fleet
sustainment
programme
to
Pakistan,
reversing
the
decision
of
the
previous
Trump
administration
to
suspend
military
aid
to
Islamabad
for
providing
safe
havens
for
the
Afghan
Taliban
and
the
Haqqani
network.
In
a
notification
to
the
US
Congress,
the
State
Department
made
a
determination
approving
a
possible
foreign
military
sale
for
sustainment
and
related
equipment
for
an
estimated
cost
of
USD
450
million,
arguing
that
this
will
sustain
Islamabad’s
capability
to
meet
current
and
future
counterterrorism
threats
by
maintaining
its
F-16
fleet.
In
a
call
with
US
Defense
Secretary
Lloyd
Austin,
Defence
Minister
Rajnath
Singh
had
expressed
India’s
concerns
about
the
F-16
package
to
Pakistan.
To
a
question
about
a
possible
role
for
India
in
mediating
an
end
to
the
Ukraine-Russia
war
expertly
framed,
Jaishankar
did
not
rule
it
out.
But
he
also
made
it
clear
India
is
not
campaigning
for
it.
Know all about
Subrahmanyam Jaishankar
“If
we
can
help
in
some
way
we
will
be
obviously
responsible
enough
to
do
that,”
the
Minister
said,
adding,
“I
think
the
participants
know
that
the
rest
of
the
world
knows
that.
Beyond
that
what
happens
that’s
in
the
realm
of
diplomacy
so
I
can’t
say
anything.”
Story first published: Monday, September 26, 2022, 8:40 [IST]
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