Foreign journalist doubts India's narrative on F-16 use

NYT journalist says Washington does not think Islamabad violated its F-16 agreement

Amidst an ongoing standoff between Pakistan and India, a New York Times journalist, Maria Abi-Habib, has pointed out that Islamabad may not have violated its F-16 sales agreement with Washington contrary to New Delhi’s claim even if the US fighter jets were involved in the downing of two Indian Air Force jets.

Tensions between the South Asian neighbours escalated following a suicide car bombing on February 14 that killed at least 40 Indian paramilitary police in Indian-occupied Kashmir.



New Delhi accused Islamabad of harbouring the Jaish-e Mohammad group behind the attack, which Islamabad denied, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised a strong response.

Pakistan said the Indian planes missed whatever they were aiming at, and that nobody died in the attack outside Balakot in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).

On March 2, Pakistan handed back a captured Indian pilot Abhinandan whose MiG-21 jet was shot down by a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) during a clash over Kashmir on February 27 as two weeks of growing tensions between the two countries erupted into open hostilities.

Confirming the incident, New Delhi had complained the aircraft used by the PAF to ingress into Indian-occupied Kashmir (IoK) had included an F-16 which it claimed the Indian Air Force (IAF) had shot down. The PAF, however, had denied that F-16 jets were used India.

Indian insisted that Pakistan's use of F-16 against India meant that Islamabad stood in violation of a sales agreement with the US, which allegedly restricts the fighter jets to be used for anti-terrorism sorties only.

But NYT's South Asia correspondent in her tweets on Wednesday explained how Pakistan may not have committed any such violation even if it did use F-16s to shoot down Indian jets.

“The US says if Pakistan used an F-16 to shoot down an Indian MiG, it may not have violated sale agreement. India says deal limits Pakistan to use jets only for counter-terror operations,” Maria tweeted.



“The US officials are pushing back hard on India's interpretation of their F-16 sale agreement with Pakistan. They say if India entered Pakistan airspace for a second day, and Pakistan used the jet defensively, the contract wasn't violated.”

According to the journalist, “American officials at this moment say they are assessing if an F16 was used and in what manner.”

4) So this all comes down to: what really happened last week -- is Pakistan's version to be believed or India's ? American officials at this moment say they are assessing if an F16 was used and in what manner
5) Pak says they didn't use F16, but JF17, a jet they produce w/China

— Maria Abi-Habib (@Abihabib) March 6, 2019

7) No one saying F16s better than MiGs. They are both old news. US wants to strengthen its alliance w/India & as a sweetener said theyd produce F16 in India. Delhi said: give us your better, newer stuff

— Maria Abi-Habib (@Abihabib) March 6, 2019

8) Weapons experts/ officials say the fragmented casings of AIM-120 India showed don't really prove whether F16 was shot down. US says they're still assessing, but dont know if F16 was/wasnt downed. Dont shoot the messenger folks, this is what officials say as they investigate

— Maria Abi-Habib (@Abihabib) March 6, 2019

9) Either way, the West, particularly US, is really trying to bolster its alliance w/ India. They are tired of Pakistan & say they use terror groups to achieve foreign objectives. So for the US to be cautious re: India's version of events at this moment is very interesting /end

— Maria Abi-Habib (@Abihabib) March 6, 2019

She said the US wants to strengthen its alliance with New Delhi is so important for Washington that it even offered to produce F-16 jets in India "as a sweetener".