Pakistan

Pakistan will get F-16s from other countries if funding not arranged, Aziz tells US

US says Pakistan should pay if it wants F-16 deal to go through

Kamran Yousaf May 03, 2016

a file photo of pm 039 s adviser of national security sartaj aziz photo express

A file photo of PM's adviser of National Security Sartaj Aziz. PHOTO: EXPRESS

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister’s senior aide Sartaj Aziz on Tuesday cautioned US that Pakistan will purchase F-16s from other countries if it does not arrange funding.

“Pakistan will buy F-16s from some other country if funding [from US] is not arranged,” Aziz informed. His statement comes hours after US State Department spokesperson John Kirby said Pakistan should pay if it wants F-16 deal to go through.

Aziz stressed the importance of F-16 jets in the fight against terrorism and said they were pivotal to the national defence of Pakistan.

US administration supports F-16s for Pakistan, says official

The US State Department on Monday said it has asked Pakistan to fund the whole purchase of F-16 jet fighters on its own. “Given congressional objections, we have told the Pakistanis that they should put forward national funds for that purpose,” US State Department spokesperson John Kirby said during his weekly press briefing.

“As a matter of longstanding principle, the Department of State opposes conditions to the release of appropriated foreign assistance funds. We believe that such conditions limit the president and the secretary’s ability to conduct foreign policy in the best interest of the United States,” he added.

Previously, Islamabad was supposed to pay only $270 million while the Barack Obama-led administration was to pay $430 million in subsidy through the US foreign military financing budget for the fighter jets.

US lawmakers block subsidy for F-16 deal

However, during a congressional hearing on Wednesday, US lawmakers made it clear that they would not allow the Obama administration to use US funds for the deal.

The decision to stop the subsidy came after the hearing of a sub-committee on Asia and Pacific of the US Congress Committee on Foreign Affairs last week where lawmakers accused Pakistan of not doing enough to fight militants and expressed concerns that the jets could be used against India while also raising objections to using American taxpayers’ money to fund the sale.

COMMENTS (40)

roma | 8 years ago | Reply What the great man Sir Sartaj Ali j-ji means is that "Pakistan will be equally well-off looking for other alternatives" ...instead of saying that they will get the F16 from other sources .....the state of affairs in Pak has reached such a low level that even their foreign minister who should be able to speak like a diplomat cant express himself correctly , so what about lower levels ?

globalobserver | 8 years ago | Reply @BruteForce: "Pakistan doesn’t have the technical know-how or the jugaad mentality coupled with hard work to get around it." Not true and it is not that simple. There is a very good reason why Pakistan constantly lusts after F-16's. Pakistan has figured out a way to strengthen the air-frame of the F-16's to carry bulky nuclear weapons. Despite propaganda, Pakistan hasn't managed to reduce the weight of strategic nuclear weapons yet. The range of Pak missiles get very limited when they carry these bulky nuke warheads. The only reliable delivery method for these still crude nukes is the modified F'16's. The cost of a single-shot long range missile is prohibitive.

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Another Indian | 8 years ago | Reply Does this dude even know that F-16 is manufactured only by US? All others "acquired" it. But hey, this is totally more fun for us...

Sid | 8 years ago | Reply @Rarun: Oh really. Sooner or later nations realize that Pakistan is nothing more than a boy who cries wolf.

Rarun | 8 years ago | Reply We will notice an acceleration in terrorist activity in Afghanistan and in Pakistan. When Pakistan's nuclear assets appear threatened then US will come back to the table. This threat has worked before!

Srivastava | 8 years ago | Reply Indian friends have no reason to display joy here. Pakistan has internal problemes over which people of Pakistan have no control. These problemes have been made worst by funding of Pakistan military by US and China. Firstly, People of Pakistan see nothing of this aid money, which returns to benefit foreign countries as its spent on importing military hardware, and secondly, a strong military rules Pakistan, undermining the power of the people to elect and reject governments. Military has converted Pakistan it into a security state. Unlike India, Pakistan is not a state by and for the people. Life in Pakistan is not like in India. End of foreign aid to Pakistan should be good news for the people, if this continues, people may finally take charge of the state for betterment of their lives. Hope this trend continues.

globalobserver | 8 years ago | Reply "Pakistan will get F-16s from other countries if funding not arranged, Aziz tells US " Euphemism for "we will beg others if the US won't give us free alms"??

Dipak | 8 years ago | Reply JF!7 are fast becoming flying coffins.

BruteForce | 8 years ago | Reply Next step for India is to ban sale of F16s to Pakistan. Then, we can convince them to not to sell spare parts of the existing F16s. Billions of dollars down the drain. Pakistan doesn't have the technical know-how or the jugaad mentality coupled with hard work to get around it. Indian lobby did a good job, but US shouldn't have considered this sale in the first place.

Shoaib Bhatti | 8 years ago | Reply I still say our pigeons are enough for our neighbors to have sleepless nights.

Iqbal afghani | 8 years ago | Reply you can't just but F-16s from other countries because F-16 is property of America and only America will allow who can have it or which country can resell it! Still you should ask USA for it else get Russian jets or French or UK ones but you can't get F-16s without American permission LoL

harkol | 8 years ago | Reply And a beggar at the Metro station told me today - "Sir, give me Rs.100, and if you refuse give it me, then I'll take Rs.100 from someone else".

Jag Nathan | 8 years ago | Reply No one can sell Pakistan F16s without a written approval from the United States. Eithr Sartaz Aziz is poorly informed or he is issuing an empty threat.

observer | 8 years ago | Reply @KB: There are many countries who would like to sell their good condition parked, rather rusted, F16s at less than half price of the new ones. Can you name the 'Many Countries' using F-16s? Allow me to help you. The countries are USA Israel, Turkey, Egypt, Belgium, Germany, Japan, Netherlands. Now, which one of them looks ready to defy the US to trade with Pakistan?

Just Zoking, London | 8 years ago | Reply @ Rizwan...Maybe you are partly right...Maybe USA wants Pakistan to buy it from India under Make in India campaign..Just one catch though: Indian made F16 will come with an extra software patch to stop and divert back the birds before the Indian borders.

Sunil | 8 years ago | Reply Ever heard of transfer of technology agreements to 3rd parties. I am sure other nations will want to risk losing access to US technologies. Why not ask China for a similar aircraft?

zizpong | 8 years ago | Reply Hmm... Are you thinking about F16 which reads "Made in China"? Read carefully it says "iF 16" and 16+.

ABC | 8 years ago | Reply Why do you need F-16 ? Don't you make fighter jets in Pakistan ? Can't you fight terrorists with home made fighter planes?

Tp | 8 years ago | Reply Another ominous warning from the regional superpower to the US.

AA | 8 years ago | Reply @Feroz: It is India in fact which has sour relations with practically all its neighbors...Nepal, China, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Also don't overlook the fact that the US administration wanted to subsidize the sale to Pakistan, it is only the pro India lobby which has swayed the Congress to block the funds. China is a long term strategic partner of Pakistan's, India's relationship with China notwithstanding. China has just committed itself to a multi decade long development of the Pakistan China Economic Corridor. Its wishful thinking of people like you who can't look at things objectively and see the relationship actually strengthening.

KB | 8 years ago | Reply @observer: There are many countries who would like to sell their good condition parked, rather rusted, F16s at less than half price of the new ones. Buying F16s from USA is just like taking a new car from the showroom with a major hit on price. Countries who have F16s do not require USA's permission to buy/sell amongst each other. Yes, India can not buy the used ones from any source as they don't have any!

ghazal | 8 years ago | Reply aziz threat is biggest existential threat to USA after Cuban crisis

Aslam | 8 years ago | Reply In last eight years, two political governments have taken away over US$ 5 billion in corruption and a large amount is stashed in properties and bank accounts, like our PM has few, in the western world. US is right to ask for full payment as they think that our politicians can steal billion of dollars worth of national wealth but the country will not pay for defensive requirement. Such attitude of Americans has lot to do with the Panama leaks scandal confirming that Pakistan's PM and most of the politicians are filthy rich in hard currencies.

Ali S | 8 years ago | Reply It's like saying "if you don't give me my well-deserved money for begging, I'll beg it from someone else". Utterly pathetic - and F-16's are outdated anyway, why would the military not push for some better aircraft?

observer | 8 years ago | Reply Pakistan will get F-16s from other countries if funding not arranged, Aziz tells US I have two niggling doubts, A. Which 'Other Countries' manufacture the F-16? B. If you have the money to pat these 'Other Countries', why not pay the US? I think it is a bluff, which will be called soon.

jay | 8 years ago | Reply Begging should be made a national sport if Pakistan.

Feroz | 8 years ago | Reply Never knew that other countries had the capabilities to manufacture and supply F-16's. All the US is saying is that Pakistan must pay for what it is buying. Any other supplier will also ask for payment against goods supplied. What Mr Aziz should be very worried about is the diminishing utility of pampering Pakistan, across the global community. All weather friend China is trying to sort out its issues with India through rigorous negotiations. Once that is done Pakistan will have to either neuter its proxies or get sanctioned. Why should others tell Pakistan what is in its interests, is there no intellectual capital available locally to do the same ? For Heavens sake, threatening the world with nuisance value, should not pass for strategy. Pakistan is a country that really needs no enemies, it is its own worst enemy, having created every problem it confronts.

Apoorv Swarup | 8 years ago | Reply Why the need for grandstanding, the US doesn't care where you get you F-16's from as long as you pay for it in entirety. If you can get it from other countries by all means do that! this comment seems farcical and inconsequential as far as the US is concerned, nobody is dying if they don't manage to sell 8 blasted F-16's

Rex Minor | 8 years ago | Reply we have told the Pakistanis that they should put forward national funds for that purpose,” US State Department spokesperson John Kirby said during his weekly press briefing.. The signal to the Sharifs that they are aware of the National funds transferred to the offshore accounts. Rex Minor.

Haji Atiya | 8 years ago | Reply @shashi: Agreed it sounds pathetic and devoid of any dignity on the part of the diplomat and the country he represents. However, you seem to make the assumption that the US doesn't want to provide the planes to Pakistan in the first place irrespective of whether the country can mobilize the required funding...? If that's the case, I would further agree that they can use their leverage to halt any third-country transaction. However, if it's merely a matter of coming up with the money, the US may not necessarily block another country from selling to us. Alternately, Pakistan can purchase for the moment 2 or 3 F-16s with the money they have instead of the entire lot.

OSD | 8 years ago | Reply This has been done to appease India and their core objective was one more move against China. In any case, we can divert our national funds for the JF-17. Luckily for us, we have built up alternatives to fickle allies like the Americans.

Baloch | 8 years ago | Reply @shashi: He means purchasing used F-16s from other countries.

Rizwan | 8 years ago | Reply @shashi: The American administration wants to sell the jets to Pakistan. They will help Pakistan buy it from another source. Congress may be playing politics but the man in the Whitehouse and his administration is in favour of selling the jets to Pakistan at a subsidized price. Perhaps they will do it via Turkey? But it can be done via a 3rd party and the Americans will help us do it! The US has a history of supplying arms to its allies via third parties. It happens all the time when the US wants deniability.

Xnain | 8 years ago | Reply How can they get F-16s from other countries without the approval of US? Empty threat, nothing else.

Fahim | 8 years ago | Reply It is in best interest not to look for F-16 anymore. World is going for 5th and 6th generation fighters. France is only going for 6th Generation fighters.

curious2 | 8 years ago | Reply USA doesn't care whether you buy F-16 from another country - it's only objection is using taxpayers money to subsidize sale to country which helps the Haqqani.

Mango Man | 8 years ago | Reply Interesting! Sartaj Aziz is deciding whom to beg from? Not sure if he has heard the old saying. "Beggars cant be Choosers"

Thora Bora | 8 years ago | Reply Hope now Pakistan understand the worth of WAR ON TERROR........enjoy!

Acorn Guts | 8 years ago | Reply Time for US to ponder whether they can part with a few millions to avoid shift of influence or not. I see Pakistan win under all scenarios in long term.

shashi | 8 years ago | Reply How pathetic and utterly shameless can a diplomat be! Gist of his statement is - " I will not arrange for my money to buy your stuff but I'll get someone else to do it for me". Is this a statement worthy of any self respecting foreign minister? And does he not know that USA has an end user clause with every country it sells arms to other than Israel? Who is going to risk flouting that? Or is Pakistan dreaming of buying the F 16 from Israel? The more one hears these worthies shoot their mouth off, the more one despairs for Pakistan.

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