Well, I have no grudges against US on a overall note, not a lot I mean but here with F-16s, yes there have been disappointments. It pains Pakistan to know that we did pay US in cash in 90s for F-16s that were later embargoed and for which we actually had to pay fines.
That trith nullifies your suggestion that sooner or later, when we can afford to pay in cash, the Vipers will be handed over on a platter: that never actually happened to us unless US needed us too bad for its cold war thing.
I think this argument should've been settled. What the military and the Pakistani media tell her people is negative in terms of embargo's and all. But they also have the responsibility to tell people positive stuff about the US.
For example, the 1 F-16's you did receive, along with other block 52 ones, there were some serious price reductions on those. Multiple Secretary of States had mentioned this in late 90's and early 2000's, that every child knows about the F-16 saga. And as a good will gesture, the United States gave Pakistan the MNNA status, and since then, there have been weapons provided worth billions, for a fraction of the cost.
So someone has to take that into consideration that the "money lost" in 28 F-16's deal, has been recovered like 5 times more. But sadly, your press and the military, won't spend a minute in explaining that. I guess keeping a 200 million strong country should always be negative about the US, despite all kinds of assistance, from military to businesses, to healthcare, clean water, schools, universities, etc, etc??
And secondly, yes, US has been a huge provider of arms and aid but hey we have paid the price with our blood: from Zarb-e-Azb to previous aid during Afghan War. Nothing came without strings and further, we have been mostly sold second rate stuff: we will never be offered F-16V or Raptor or Patriots, why? Isn't that American hypocrisy?
Here's another problem, not just with the above paragraph, but the mentality that thinks like that. There was an event A in the 80's or 90's, today if 2015. So something that happened 3-4 decades ago, shouldn't be linked to the world we live in today, or have lived in 10 years ago.
For anyone to create a conspiracy theory that the US has embargoed the F-16's, later released them gave Pakistan new, and other weapons was because the Pakistanis would one day pay their price with blood.
The blood part, is Pakistani leadership's fault. The US has been singing the "anthem" to do more, in terms of go take these crazy bas*tard terrorists out all the way. And the US constantly told Pakistan that one day, these maniacs will create a threat for Pakistan. The US spends billions on psychological behavior research. The research tells the scientists that the pattern of such human behavior is that they are running on crazy ideology and next best thing before they can hit the Europe or the US, is Pakistan herself. So based on that assessment, Pakistan was requested to increase effectiveness in military ops so more terrorist can be taken out.
I think this was the ONLY time in the modern US history, that two US presidents had personally requested Pakistani public to eliminate this threat of terrorism and become modern. Both, President Clinton and Bush went ALL the way to Pakistan and directly addressed the people of Pakistan inside Pakistan. One of them visited years before 911, the second one, after 911. So you are going to tell me that the US had some "conspiracy theory" agenda that two US president visited Pakistan and urged the country to support tolerance and focus on modernization and eliminate the strategic depth concept as it is going to harm Pakistan. And today.....we clearly see that, the harm to Pakistan has been a lot more than anyone else!!!! Sadly, had Pakistan heard, focused on WHY the US was suggesting what she was.....MANY from the 50,000 killed by the terrorists (both soldiers and citizens) would be alive today, including the Children who lost their most innocent precious lives in Peshawar, EXACTLY one year ago. And a year after hundreds of children were killed in cold blood, we see San Bernardino attacks. Now back to when the President Clinton or Bush asked Pakistan to take out all these bad guys a decade and a half ago, if that had happened, both the US and Pakistan won't be mourning the loss of precious lives.
Moral of the story, the conspiracy theories are "the thing" to have in Pakistan. But you guys should adapt a more practical and balanced approach towards the US. The US has done a lot for Pakistan and will keep a friendly and beneficial relationship relationship with Pakistan going forward, as long as Pakistan remains on the right path towards religious tolerance, modernization, democracy and growth. That's also a message to Pakistan's military that stop cutting off the civilian system who is ultimately going to grow the system. There is no other way, and Pakistan doesn't need more Marshal Laws, no matter how you look at it.
America why not offering Pakistan assembly line of F16s as we are oldest users of American f serires fighters...
You guys don't have the $$$$. You could make a case to the US to use Turkey's line to build more jets? Also, the relationships between the US and Pakistan, are finally going in the right direction. Something like this needs about 5-7 years worth of growth in bi-lateral relationships and trust. I am sure the US will listen to it then.