WASHINGTON, July 29: The Bush administration’s plan to sell 36 F-16 jets and other equipment to Pakistan has emerged unscathed from a congressional review period.
The $5.1 billion package, officially notified to Congress on June 28, is considered the largest US arms sale to the country. The lawmakers had 30 days to reject the offer. The deadline expired on Friday.
Without a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate to kill the sale, it is automatically approved under the laws governing international arms sales.
“We’ve worked closely with Congress and we think we’ve smoothed out a few of the difficulties that we’ve faced there on procedures that we use,” said US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher. “We’re moving ahead with the sale which we think is very important to our ties and to Pakistan’s needs.”
