Pak Envoy to U.S. says Not Aware of Any American Enquiry into Violation of F-16 pact

Toronto, March 6: Pakistan’s Ambassador to the U.S. Asad Majeed Khan has told reporters that the Trump Administration has requested no information through him of the possible violation of the end-user agreement involving the F-16 jets in Pakistan’s Air Force (PAF).

"On F-16, I don't know, India has been saying so many other things. We don't get into every single one of them. I am not aware of any request from the US side about the F 16," Khan commented while speaking at the US Institute of Peace, a US Congress-funded think-tank, on Monday. Asked about the media reports saying that US government is seeking more information on the misuse of F-16 by Pakistan against India in a potential violation of the end-user agreement, he said: "I think the question is whether Pakistan is prevented by (end-user-agreement)". "I have not seen those end user agreements. I am not a position to comment on that," the top Pakistani diplomat said.

Post the aerial confrontation between India-Pakistan in which IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman shot down a PAF F-16, India has given proof to the US that Pakistan deployed the American-made F-16 jets against India. These jets fired AMRAAM beyond visual range air-to-air missile which are made for the F-16 fighter aircraft and can only be fired from them. According to an end-user agreement between the U.S. and Pakistan, the Pakistan Air Force was sold F-16 jets under the anti-terror campaign which restricts Pakistan from using these aircrafts against a third country.

Pakistan has denied that it deployed the F-16 jets during its confrontation with India but the Indian government has passed on the various evidence it has against Pakistan’s claim to the US government.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 06, 2019 01:50 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).