Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said Saturday he had raised the issue of F-16 fighter jets during his talks with US President George Bush at the White House Saturday.
Soon after the talks, Bush and Musharraf emerged out of the Oval Office to meet briefly with waiting reporters and the Pakistani leader said he had discussed the F-16 issue with Bush in a bid to help upgrade the defence needs of his country.
"We discussed the F-16 issue. That is all I would like to say, thank you,"
Musharraf commented when asked about the prospects of Pakistan getting the long-sought after fighters.
Pakistan would like to buy up to 25 of the F-16s, which cost around 25
million dollars each, by mid-2005 but the White House has so far downplayed
any imminent deal.
However according to Jane's Defense Weekly, Pakistan is reportedly looking
to finalize purchase of 18 to 25 F-16 multi-role fighter aircraft and that Pakistani officials are negotiating the sale with the Bush administration.
The United States had given 40 F-16s to Pakistan when it was supporting the
US effort in the fight against the then Soviet Union in Afghanistan. But
in 1990, Congress passed the Pressler amendment halting delivery of the jets
because the US believed Pakistan was clandestinely developing a nuclear bomb.
--Indo-Asian News Service