India expresses concern over US military aid to Pakistan

India on Thursday said that it raised with American envoy Kenneth Juster the matter of resuming US military assistance to Pakistan and technical support for F-16 fighter aircraft.

The matter has been taken up with the US ambassador in New Delhi as well as the US State Department in Washington, Raveesh Kumar, the spokesperson for the ministry for external affairs, said.

US officials have assured that the freeze in security assistance to Pakistan on President Donald Trump’s direction since January 2018 was still in place and the latest decision would help it in 24x7 end use monitoring of the F-16 fighter jets in that country as this would require the assignment of 60 contractor representatives there to assist in the oversight of the F-16 programme, diplomatic sources told ET.


The US relationship with Pakistan is part of a broader South Asia strategy with the state department in lead and the department of defence in support, explained an American government official.

During the recent rise in tension along the Line of Control after the February 14 Pulwama attack, Pakistan had used F-16 fighter jets against India in retaliation to the February 26 air strike on a terrorist training camp in Balakot. But one F-16 was brought down by a MiG-21.

Earlier in 2016, New Delhi had expressed disappointment at the decision of then Barack Obama administration to notify the sale of F-16 aircraft to Pakistan.