A former vice chief of the Pakistan Air Force has “categorically” said there was no condition attached to the country's purchase of F-16 fighters that stipulated they not be used against India. The Indian government had complained to the US and submitted proof about Pakistan using F-16 fighters in the recent aerial incursion across the Line of Control.
In a report on Wednesday, a Pakistani newspaper, The News International, spoke to former air marshal Shahid Latif, who had signed the agreement, finalised in 2008, to purchase 18 new F-16 fighters. Latif told the publication "Pakistan can use the F-16 jets for its defence against any country, including India".
Latif rejected reports that conditions were attached to the deal that barred the use of the F-16 in 'offensive' operations. The News International said Latif wondered, “If Pakistan was bound not to use these F-16s against India, then why the country would have purchased it?” He declared, “We did not need a toy”.
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The Pakistan government declared last week it did not deploy the F-16 in the recent conflict. However, the US government had announced it had sought a response from Pakistan on the allegations the F-16 was used. Interestingly, on Monday, Pakistan's ambassador to the US, Asad Majeed Khan claimed, he was “not aware” of any US request for information about the use of the F-16. On Sunday night, a Pakistani journalist who fled to France, alleging harassment by the military, claimed he had been informed F-16 fighters were used against India.
The 'misuse' of the F-16 has drawn much media attention over the past week, leading to scrutiny of US arms shipments to Pakistan over the past decade, on the pretext of helping Islamabad in its fight against terror groups. However, some equipment on the F-16, such as the AMRAAM missile and conformal fuel tanks, were seen as having limited utility in combating poorly-armed terrorists.