Days after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan visited the White House, the US State Department approved the sale of F-16 fighter jet program technical support to Pakistan, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA).
Earlier, US President Donald Trump had told Khan that Washington would consider lifting a security aid freeze on Pakistan if Islamabad took more action on terrorists and helped in advancing the Afghan peace process.
“The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Pakistan for Technical Security Team (TST) in continued support of the F-16 program for an estimated cost of USD 125 million,” the DSCA said in a statement on Friday.
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In November last year, a Pentagon official said that the United States had suspended a total of USD 1.66 billion in security assistance to Pakistan after Trump criticised Islamabad’s alleged lack of effort in fighting terrorism.
Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua summoned the US charge d’affaires to express the country’s strong protest to Trump’s allegations.
(With ANI inputs)