July 6, 2003	Sunday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 5,1424

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ISLAMABAD, July 5: It was India’s opposition to the sale of F-16 aircrafts to Pakistan that persuaded the United States to turn down Gen Pervez Musharraf’s request for the state-of-the-art combat aircrafts, according to Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) Information Secretary Siddiqul Farooq who released on Friday a factsheet on Gen Musharraf’s visit to the US.

Mr Farooq, who is also a spokesman for the party, said President Bush, who called Gen Musharraf a friend, had already facilitated the sale of a much more sophisticated aircraft to India, along with technology. He said Bush had lifted restrictions on the transfer of these planes from Israel to India, enabling Tel Aviv to sell the aircraft and modern radar system to New Delhi.

Consequently, Pakistan remained deprived of F-16 planes while India would soon be able to not only enhance surveillance of Pakistani borders, but also observe defence-related activities deep inside the country, he added.

Mr Farooq said Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz and Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokhar on June 24, and Gen Musharraf on June 26, claimed before Pakistani journalists that the US had not attached any conditions to the $3 billion assistance package.

However, Gen Musharraf implied next day that the package was conditional.

Speaking at Los Angeles World Affairs Council on June 27, Gen Musharraf said he would urge the US Congress to approve the proposed package without attaching conditions for its use. He also revealed his conversation with President Bush, saying: “I have told President Bush that we prefer our aid to be free of encumbrances.”

The White House spokesman in his briefing on June 24, referred to these conditions and said: “Pakistan must continue cooperating with the US in its war against terrorism; Pakistan must make a commitment that it is not promoting, and will not promote, onward proliferation of its nuclear weapons technology and Pakistan will stay on course to building a modern and liberal democracy.”