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India voices concern over US arms for Pakistan
WASHINGTON: US arms supplies to Pakistan will top the agenda when Indian officials come to Washington in June for the first India-US strategic dialogue, the US-based Indian media reported on Sunday.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna will lead their respective delegations to the dialogue which is expected to follow the pattern set during the US-Pakistan strategic talks last week.
The Indian media reported that the prospect of a US nuclear deal for Pakistan was less of a concern for New Delhi than Washingtons decision to provide sophisticated military equipment to Islamabad.
With the first lot of 18 F-16C/D Block 50/52 combat aircraft due to be delivered in the next few months, India is raising the diplomatic pitch against the transfer of such equipment to Pakistan, said one such report.
The report noted that Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony had already articulated New Delhis concerns; the US decision also had intensified diplomatic traffic between New Delhi and Washington over the issue.
Apart from the F-16s worth $1.43 billion, the US is also financing $477 million (of $891 million) for almost 60 mid-life update kits for its older fleet of F-16s A/B combat aircraft and financing part of 115 M-109 self-propelled howitzers.
Under the Excess Defence Articles, which allows US allies to collect weapons no longer needed by US forces in a war zone, Pakistan will receive one ex-Oliver Hazard Perry class missile frigate (worth $67 million) as well as 20 AH-1F Cobra attack helicopters (worth $48 million of which 12 have already been delivered) and 121 refurbished TOW missile launchers.
The US has already given 5,250 TOW anti-armour missiles to Pakistan.
After the US-Pakistan strategic dialogue, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said these military supplies would be expedited.
Since 2001, Pakistan has received 14 F-16s (as part of an earlier deal) and 39 T-37 military trainer jets. Under the compensation scheme for the terror war, under which the US pays Pakistan to fight terrorists, the US has transferred $7.2 billion to Pakistan since 2002.
According to official US figures, this is set to spike by $3.4 billion for the coming year. The US administration has also asked its Congress for more money to Pakistan this year.
WASHINGTON: US arms supplies to Pakistan will top the agenda when Indian officials come to Washington in June for the first India-US strategic dialogue, the US-based Indian media reported on Sunday.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna will lead their respective delegations to the dialogue which is expected to follow the pattern set during the US-Pakistan strategic talks last week.
The Indian media reported that the prospect of a US nuclear deal for Pakistan was less of a concern for New Delhi than Washingtons decision to provide sophisticated military equipment to Islamabad.
With the first lot of 18 F-16C/D Block 50/52 combat aircraft due to be delivered in the next few months, India is raising the diplomatic pitch against the transfer of such equipment to Pakistan, said one such report.
The report noted that Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony had already articulated New Delhis concerns; the US decision also had intensified diplomatic traffic between New Delhi and Washington over the issue.
Apart from the F-16s worth $1.43 billion, the US is also financing $477 million (of $891 million) for almost 60 mid-life update kits for its older fleet of F-16s A/B combat aircraft and financing part of 115 M-109 self-propelled howitzers.
Under the Excess Defence Articles, which allows US allies to collect weapons no longer needed by US forces in a war zone, Pakistan will receive one ex-Oliver Hazard Perry class missile frigate (worth $67 million) as well as 20 AH-1F Cobra attack helicopters (worth $48 million of which 12 have already been delivered) and 121 refurbished TOW missile launchers.
The US has already given 5,250 TOW anti-armour missiles to Pakistan.
After the US-Pakistan strategic dialogue, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said these military supplies would be expedited.
Since 2001, Pakistan has received 14 F-16s (as part of an earlier deal) and 39 T-37 military trainer jets. Under the compensation scheme for the terror war, under which the US pays Pakistan to fight terrorists, the US has transferred $7.2 billion to Pakistan since 2002.
According to official US figures, this is set to spike by $3.4 billion for the coming year. The US administration has also asked its Congress for more money to Pakistan this year.
