ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan on Friday confirmed the Trump administration’s move to release $397 million as part of the “end user agreement” about F-16 fighter jets between the two countries.
“The F-16 oversight program is a regular feature of the Pakistan-US defence collaboration under the “end user agreement” and Pakistan welcomes its continuation,” Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan told his weekly news briefing.
The official confirmation came after reports suggested that the Trump administration released $397 million for a US-backed programme in Pakistan to ensure that the US-made F-16 fighter jets were employed for counterterrorism operations and not against rival India.
The spokesperson attributed the development to the decades-old “robust and strong” ties with the United States.
“Our desire is to continue with this important relationship. The two sides are already engaged through diplomatic channels. Pakistan remains committed to carrying this relationship forward,” Shafqat said.
Regarding the President’s remarks on left over US weapons, the spokesperson said Pakistan had on several times voiced concerns over the sophisticated weapons in Afghanistan.
“We have been raising our concerns about the fact that these sophisticated weapons are finding their way into the hands of terrorists who are carrying out terrorist activities in Pakistan,” he said.
“We have impressed upon this issue before the international community and the Afghan authorities,” he added.
Pakistan on Friday also for the first time officially commented on the closure of key border crossing with Afghanistan at Torkham.
“About the Torkham border, essentially the problem is that the Afghan side is trying to construct a border post on our side unilaterally and we have urged them to resolve such issues through bilateral mechanism, such as the joint coordination committee meeting, instead of resorting to unilateral actions,” Shafqat told reporters.
“We are hopeful that the matter would be resolved through dialogue,” he added.
The border crossing remained closed since last Friday over a check post being constructed by the Afghan Taliban without taking Pakistan into confidence. The closure has disrupted bilateral trade as well movement of people that frequently use the crossing to shuttle between the two countries.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson confirmed that eight Pakistani nationals, who had been staying in the US illegally, returned to Pakistan
“About the broader policy, any Pakistani who is staying illegally abroad, we try to facilitate their return, but there are certain procedures in place. If a person is found to be staying illegally, first we confirm his/her nationality. Once the nationality is confirmed, we accept back our nationals,” he explained.
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