Pakistan rejects US conditionalities to sale of F-16s

Pakistan rejects US conditionalities to sale of F-16s

The Senate’s Committee on Foreign Affairs recently termed the withholding of funds for procuring F-16 jets by the United States Congress as a setback and major failure of Pakistan’s foreign policy. The committee members were of the view that Pakistan contributed and sacrificed a great deal towards America’s War on Terror, and such actions on part of the US deter effective containment of militancy in the region. It was widely perceived that the Indian lobby played a proactive role in sabotaging the deal that was pivotal for upgrading the capabilities of Pakistan Air Force (PAF). Senator Mushahid Hussain, Chairman of the Senate’s Defence Committee, said that the strategic alliance between India and the United States could be one of the core reasons behind the blocking of the bulk of the funds that were to be provided under the United States Foreign Military Funding programme.

A department for promoting defence ties with India called the India Rapid Reaction Cell (IRRC) has recently opened and is specifically operating at the Pentagon. This is unique on its own for no global or regional power has ever been given such an opportunity by the US Department of Defence. The ever-increasing ties between the two states have made the Indian lobby much stronger within Washington’s political and diplomatic circles. For this reason, ostensibly, Pakistan was unable to get strong support on getting funds for the F-16s in the Republican Party-dominated Congress.

However, there are other reasons as well for why Pakistan failed to ingress effectively within Washington’s power corridors. India has become a major global player ever since Dr Manmohan Singh introduced the economic liberalisation programme in 1994. The programme gradually evolved India into a major trade powerhouse in South Asia, and by the 2000s, strategic relations with the US and Israel became a core policy for the Indian ministry of external affairs under influential diplomats such as S Jaishankar. All of this was done to counter China in the region that enjoys great influence across Asia and other parts of the world. The US believes that New Delhi can effectively keep a check on Chinese influence in the region, but this narrative is perceived to aim at countering Pakistan as well as per some circles. India has been importing major military hardware from the US, Israel and Europe, which can potentially be used against Pakistan.

However, there are other lobbies as well that do not wish to see prosperous US-Pakistan relations. These include the Afghan and Israeli lobbies that are working against Pakistan’s interests. The Afghan lobby is influenced by certain congressional and diplomatic groups linked with India, while groups such as American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) propel the Israeli lobby. Furthermore, some of our own influential and noted citizens tend to please anti-Pakistan forces by advocating restrictions on Pakistan that could potentially damage country’s short and long term foreign policy objectives.

Nevertheless, Pakistan is trying its best to maintain good relations with the US that have improved over the years. The F-16 deal seems to have reached a deadlock, and in such a case, Pakistan should push for an effective public diplomacy that can improve the country’s image abroad. 

(Source : dailytimes.com.pk)

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