You're not fooling anyone: Jaishankar tells US hard truth of its ties with Pak, F-16 deal

India on Sunday tore down the hard truth of the United States sanctioning a $450 million sustenance package for Pakistan's F-16 fleet. While addressing a press conference in Washington, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that the reasons were not 'fooling anybody'. Criticising Washington for its decision, he said the relationship between US and Islamabad will not serve the interests of America.

"It's a relationship that has neither ended up serving Pakistan well nor serving the American interests," Jaishankar said at an event organized by the Indian American community in Washington on Sunday.

Just earlier this month, the Biden administration reversed former President Donald Trump's decision and approved the sale of F-16 fighter jets equipment for an estimated cost of $450 million to Islamabad. In 2018, Trump-led America stopped all defence and security assistance to Pakistan alleging that Islamabad was not a partner in its fight against terrorism. However, when the US announced its reversal of the plan, it said that the move was not designed as a message to India; rather, it is associated with America's defence partnership with Islamabad.

The Biden administration stated the deal is primarily focused on counterterrorism and nuclear security. The deal surprised the whole world, with several countries including Turkey dubbing it "the most bizarre decision", given the fact that Pakistan has been backing the terror module that had worked against Americans in the worst ever attack at the World Trade Centre. 

'You are not fooling anybody', says EAM Jaishankar

"It's really for the United States today to reflect on the merits of this relationship and what they get by it. For someone to say I am doing this because it is all counter-terrorism content and so when you are talking of an aircraft like a capability of an F-16 where everybody knows, you know where they are deployed and their use," said EAM Jaishankar.

"You are not fooling anybody by saying these things. If I were to speak to an American policy-maker, I would really make the case (that) look what you are doing," Jaishankar strongly asserted.

The same concern was raised by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh when he spoke to US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin in the second week of September. "I conveyed India's concern at the recent US decision to provide a sustenance package for Pakistan's F-16 fleet. Look forward to continuing dialogue with Secretary Austin to further consolidate India-US partnership," he added.

Image: AP