Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar voices concern over arms sale to Pakistan

NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today expressed concern over arms sale to Pakistan, ahead of his meeting with visiting US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter.

"I will not comment on specifics but any arms sale to Pakistan is a concern to India," he told reporters here.

He was replying to a question about continued American sale of arms to Pakistan. He was also asked if this issue would be raised during his meeting with Carter later in the evening.

The US has given military hardware, including F-16 fighter planes, to Pakistan amounting to a whopping $5.4 billion since the 9/11 terror attacks, according to a latest Congressional report.

Sale of F-16 combat aircraft and related equipment account for nearly half of this.

The military hardware given to Pakistan in the 10-year framework has been argued as supplies needed by Islamabad for capacity building to fight terrorists in its border areas.

But most of the arms and equipment supplied to Pakistan have been those which could be used for conventional war with India.