ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Pakistan said on Monday that it was carrying out a full-fledged operation against all terror networks including Haqqani Network, adding that India was behind the blockage of F-16s sale to Pakistan by the US.
“Pakistan is taking action against all terror networks without any discrimination,” the Federal Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said while talking to media in Islamabad on Monday.
Last week, the United States said that it was not prepared to support military aid to Pakistan unless the country takes action against the Haqqani network.
“Key members of Congress have been clear they’re not prepared to support US military aid to Pakistan absent some specific actions,” a US State Department official Elizabeth Trudeau said on Thursday during a news briefing in Washington.
Khawaja Asif said that the Obama administration has supported supply of F-16s to Pakistan but the Congress is opposing it.
“An Indian lobby is working against Pakistan to stop F-16s sale,” he added.
The defence minister pointed out that F-16 fighter jets have successfully been used in Zarb-e-Azb operation. He said that Pakistan has made major contributions in the war on terror and denying the F-16s to Pakistan will amount to denying those contributions.
Asif said that Pakistan will look for another source if the US did not provide the F-16s.
The minister said that Pakistan-US relations have witnessed ups and down but on the whole, the two countries enjoy good relations with each other.
Moreover, he said that Pakistan supports Afghan led and Afghan owned peace process for durable peace in the region. He said that it is our endeavor to make the process of Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) successful for bringing peace in Afghanistan.
