Is US playing a double game? Approves $125 million sales to support Pakistan’s F-16 jets

Washington, July 27: The United States Department on Friday approved the foreign military sales worth $125 million to support the F-16 fighter jets of Pakistan. The approval comes days after the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday where both sides had declared that the meeting was highly successful.

 

The determination in this regard was made by the State Department and is the first after all security aid to Pakistan was suspended by Trump in January 2018.

“The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Pakistan for Technical Security Team (TST) in continued support of the F-16 program for an estimated cost of $125 million,” Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement.

The statement also read: “Pakistan had requested a continuation of technical support services — US government and contractor technical and logistics support services — and other related elements of logistics support to assist in the oversight of operations in support of the Pakistan Peace Drive advanced F-16 programme.”

 

“The proposed sale of this support will not alter the basic military balance in the region. The proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the US by protecting American technology through the continued presence of US personnel that provide 24×7 end-use monitoring,” reads the statement.