WASHINGTON, July 3: US Congress is scheduled to hold a hearing on July 13 on a $5 billion arms package for Pakistan which includes F-16 fighter jets and an assortment of air and ground weaponry.

The Bush administration has asked Congress to approve selling 18 new F-16 jets to Pakistan. The deal allows Pakistan also to buy an additional 18 new or old F-16s.

The US Defence Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress that the F-16s would come with 200 Sidewinder and 500 AIM-120C5 air-to-air missiles plus 800 general purpose 2,000 and 500-pound bombs.

The weapons, along with launchers, training missiles and 500 JDAM bomb guidance systems, are part of Pakistan’s request for F-16C/D jets from the Block 50/52 production run.

The agency said the contract could be worth about $650 million to suppliers, including Lockheed, BAE and Northrop Grumman.

The Pentagon said in a statement that munitions would be used in continuing anti-terrorism operations.

The US Defence Security Cooperation Agency said the deal would allow Pakistan to upgrade its overall “aging fighter and weapons inventory.”

Earlier on Monday, India objected to the US plan and called it “non-conducive” to better relations between Islamabad and New Delhi.

The Pentagon, however, said it concluded that supplying Pakistan with the new aircraft and munitions would not place India at any strategic disadvantage.

Meanwhile, Republican chairman Henry Hyde asked the US House of Representatives’ Committee on International Relations to meet on July 13 to consider the Bush administration’s offer to Pakistan.

Usually Congress gets 30 days to review such offers. The deal goes ahead if Congress does not move to block it.

The sale offer comes close on the heels of two Congressional panels approving the India-US nuclear deal.

At the State Department, an official denied speculation that the aircraft sale to Pakistan was designed to help balance the US nuclear deal with India.

“We believe in treating each country individually. Each faces defence issues different from the other,” said spokeswoman Julie Reside.

“The sale is part of an effort to broaden our strategic partnership with Pakistan and advance our national security and foreign policy interests in South Asia,” she said. “Pakistan is a long-term partner and major non-Nato ally.”

Ms Reside said a dialogue between India and Pakistan had helped reduce tensions and provided greater stability in the region.