Turkish Deputy Minister of National Defence: "We will be discussing with our Pakistani counterparts to officially include Pakistan in our jet program"

[Bilal Khan (Quwa)]

Then Pakistan, still being a stakeholder in the project is still benefitting economically until a workaround for engine is found

The KAAN isn't a make-or-break program because the future of air warfare is so much more than stealth fighters. They're a critical piece of the eco-system, yes, but the PAF will also need UCAVs, MUM-T, next-gen LRAAMs, next-gen SRAAMs, next-gen EW/ECM, etc. The KAAN will drive the development of all these subsystems and more, so even if engines delay the KAAN, the PAF can still incorporate many of the key technologies, but via JF-17.