US to ‘rethink’ F-16 delivery to Pak

The new assurance came during the two-day preparatory talks for Pak-US Defence Counsultative Group (DCG) being held Rawalpindi since Tuesday. The meetings were stalled after Pakistan conducted nuclear tests in 1998 in response to similar tests by India.

The delivery of F-16s, which Pakistan bought in 1980s, were blocked through the 1990 Pressler Amendment that called for halting all aid and military sales to Pakistan, because of its nuclear weapons development programme.

The three services of Pakistani armed forces have also handed over their shopping list to the US delegation to be placed before Pentagon and Congress committees for clearance, before the two sides meet later in the year.

The talks were headed by Pakistan Defence Secretary Lt Gen Hamid Nawaz Khan and US Air force colonel Jeffery Paulk. General Khan said he hoped that US would consider issues relating to release of withheld defence items and defence cooperation in procurement of equipment and training.

The first meeting of the Pak-US DCG is expected to be held sometime in December, the daily said.