US State Secretary Antony Blinken on Tuesday defended military deals to Pakistan after review from growing US mate India, which considers itself the target of Islamabad’s F- 16 aeroplanes.
Blinken met in the US capital with India’s foreign minister a day after separate addresses with Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto- Zardari.
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| US Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivers remarks during a press availability with India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar at the State Department on September 27, 2022 in Washington, DC. — AFP |
The US- Pakistan alliance, born out of the Cold War, has rasped over Islamabad’s relationship with the Taliban governance in Afghanistan.
The top US diplomat defended a$ 450 million F- 16 deal for Pakistan approved before in September, saying the package was for the conservation of Pakistan’s being line.
The package doesn't include the trade of any new capabilities, munitions, or munitions and is aimed at the food of Pakistan Air Force’s F- 16 programme.
“ These aren't new aeroplanes , new systems, new munitions. It’s sustaining what they have, ” the US state clerk told a news conference with his Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
“ Pakistan’s programme bolsters its capability to deal with terrorist pitfalls expiring from Pakistan or from the region. It’s in no bone ’s interests that those pitfalls be suitable to go forward with immunity, and so this capability that Pakistan has had can profit all of us in dealing with terrorism, ” Blinken said.
He added that the US had a “ responsibility and an obligation to whomever we give military outfit to make sure that it’s maintained and sustained. That’s our obligation ”.
When asked to unfold on the terrorism pitfalls and the need for F- 16s to fight them, Blinken said “ There are clear terrorism pitfalls that continue to radiate from Pakistan itself as well as from neighbouring countries.
“ And whether it's TTP( Tehreek- i- Taliban Pakistan) that may be targeting Pakistan, whether it’s ISIS- Khorasan, whether it’s Al- Qaeda, I suppose the pitfalls are clear, well- known, and we all have an interest in making sure that we've the means to deal with them. And that’s what this is about. ”
To another question about his discussion with FM Bilawal on perfecting ties between Pakistan and India, his advice to Pakistan in this regard and the ultimate’s response, Blinken said it would not be applicable to “ characterise Pakistan’s response ”.
“ More astronomically, we always encourage our musketeers to resolve their differences through tactfulness, through dialogue. That has n’t changed. It wo n’t change. It would not be applicable for me to characterise Pakistan’s response, just as I would n’t characterise our friend’s response in a analogous discussion, ” he said.
Jaishankar didn't denounce Blinken in public but on Sunday, speaking at a event for the Indian community in the United States, he said of the US position, “ You ’re not chaffing anybody. ”
“ For someone to say, I ’m doing this because it’s forcounter-terrorism when you ’re talking of an aircraft like the capability of the F- 16, everybody knows where they're stationed, ” he said.
“ veritably actually, it’s a relationship that has neither ended up serving Pakistan well nor serving American interests well, ” he said. preliminarily, the Indian defence minister had also conveyed reservations over the F- 16 deal with his counterpart in Washington.
“ I conveyed India’s concern at the recent US decision to give a food package for Pakistans F- 16 line, ” Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had written on Twitter following what he called a “ warm and productive ” telephone discussion with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
FO urges India to refrain from opining on Pakistan- US ties
For its part, Pakistan has explosively prompted India to refrain from opining on the bilateral ties between the United States and Pakistan.
Responding to Jaishankar’s reflections from Sunday, Foreign Office prophet Asim Iftikhar Ahmed said in a statement that Pakistan had a “ longstanding and broad- grounded relationship ” with the US, which had been vital in promoting peace, security, and stability in the region.
The prophet called for India to “ respect introductory morals ofinter-state relations ”. “ India also needs serious soul-searching of its politic conduct, ” he added.
Meanwhile, Bilawal also reflected on India’s response to the military trade package during an address at a Washington- grounded think tank, Woodrow Wilson Centre. “ Obviously, Indians are going to be worried, let them be, kiya karein( what do we do), ” he said.
Independently, in a daily briefing on Monday, US State Department prophet Ned Price while answering a question on Jaishankar’s commentary said that the US did n’t view its relationship with Pakistan and India as in relation to one another.
“ These are both mates of ours with different points of emphasis in each, and we look to both as mates because we do have in numerous cases participated values, we do have in numerous cases participated interests. ”
450m military trade package
Before this month, a press release by the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency( DSCA) said the government of Pakistan had requested to consolidate previous F- 16 sustainment and support cases to support the Pakistan Air Force F- 16 line by reducing indistinguishable case conditioning and adding fresh uninterrupted support rudiments.
The follow- on support for Pakistan’s F- 16 line would include participation in F- 16 Aircraft Structural Integrity Programme; Electronic Combat International Security Assistance Programme; International Engine Management Programme; and Engine Component Improvement Programme, and other specialized collaboration groups, the press release added.
The support would also include aircraft and machine tackle and software variations and support; aircraft and machine spare form/ return corridor; accessories and support outfit; classified and unclassified software and software support; publications, primers, and specialized attestation; perfection dimension, estimation, lab outfit, and specialized support services; studies and checks; and other affiliated rudiments of aircraft conservation and programme support.
Independently, a announcement transferred by the DSCA to US Congress said “ This proposed trade will support the foreign policy and public security objects of the United States by allowing Pakistan to retain interoperability with US and mate forces in ongoing counterterrorism sweats and in medication for unborn contingency operations.
“ The proposed trade will continue the sustainment of Pakistan’s F- 16 line, which greatly improves Pakistan’s capability to support counterterrorism operations through its robust air- to- ground capability. Pakistan will have no difficulty absorbing these papers and services into its fortified forces. ”
The top contractor for this trade will be Lockheed Martin Corporation and enforcing this proposed trade won't bear the assignment of any fresh US government or contractor representatives to Pakistan, the DSCA said.
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