New Delhi, June 19
Defence Minister George Fernandes today said the Indo-US “strategic partnership” would not be affected by Washington’s reported decision to sell F-16 fighter
aircraft to Pakistan.
“We are not overly concerned by the reports that Pakistan is going to receive the F-16s... (as) the USA has been selling arms to Pakistan for the past 50 years,” he told reporters here on the sidelines of a book release function.
American Defence and Foreign Affairs Daily, quoting unnamed sources, had said US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld had informed Indian Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani of Washington’s intent to sell new Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters to Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Indian Foreign Office spokesman, Mr Navtej Sarna, in response to a question, remarked that Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf’s recent India-centric comments were “unhelpful” in building mutual trust and confidence between the two countries.
Mr Sarna said cross-border terrorism continued despite Pakistani denials. He opposed the reported moves by the USA to sell F-16 fighter planes to Pakistan.
The Pakistani Foreign Ministry also issued a press release, which the Pakistani High Commission here circulated to the media, expressing “disappointment” over the alleged “distortion” of Gen Musharraf’s remarks in an interview to an Indian news channel.
