India conveys concern to US over military aid to Pak

India on Thursday said it has expressed grave concern to the US over its decision to provide military assistance to Pakistan, days after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s meeting with President Donald Trump in Washington. India has taken up the matter with the US envoy in Delhi and with the US government in Washington through the Indian Ambassador there.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumarsaid: “We have expressed grave concern over US military assistance toPakistan. The US side has told us that the proposed sale does not indicate anychange in the US policy of maintaining a freeze in military assistance toPakistan.”

   

He said the US has “publicly stated that the proposedsale is intended to enable the US to continue technical and logistics supportservices to assist in the oversight of the operations of F-16 aircraft inPakistan’s inventory”.

The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in astatement last week: “The State Department has made a determinationapproving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Pakistan for Technical SecurityTeam (TST) in continued support of the F-16 programme for an estimated cost of$125 million.”

The Pentagon delivered the required certification notifyingthe Congress of this possible sale.According to the statement, Pakistan hadrequested a continuation of technical support services in support of thePakistan Peace Drive advanced F-16 programme.

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