ISLAMABAD, Aug 4: Pakistan expressed on Monday its angry reaction to Washington’s reported offer of F-16 aircraft to India, declaring it as “very, very disturbing” as it would cause “very, very negative impact on the South Asian security situation”.

Foreign Office spokesman Masud Khan said this when he was asked for a comment at his weekly news conference on a Washington report about the supply of the highly rated combat fighter aircraft by the US to India after Pakistan was refused delivery of several squadrons of the same kind of aircraft by the US administration over a decade ago.

The spokesman did not spell out any steps from the Pakistan side to persuade the US administration to halt the reported supply of F-16s to India.

In reply to a question on the reported impending visit of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to India, Mr Masud Khan termed it a serious development for the region and said the “burgeoning Indo-Israel defence cooperation” would have a negative impact on the security situation in South Asia.—H.A