ISLAMABAD, April 23: The Pakistan-US Defence Consultative Group will meet in Washington on April 30 to discuss security issues, including procurement of F-16 jets.

Islamabad has apparently indicated to the US the number of F-16 aircraft it wants to acquire. The order includes both new and used F-16s besides upgradation of the ones Pakistan has.

The meeting to be held at the Pentagon headquarters will be presided over by Defence Secretary Tariq Wasim Ghazi and US Under-Secretary of State for Defence Eric Edleman. Pakistan’s delegation will include top military and civilian officials.

The meeting will take place two days after the inaugural session of the Pakistan-US strategic dialogue in Washington.

In the backdrop of Indo-US nuclear deal and India’s massive defence weapons acquisition programme, Pakistan will press ahead with its demand for new military equipment.

This would include defensive weapons systems to enhance Pakistan’s conventional capabilities, sources told Dawn.

Besides reviewing progress of bilateral military cooperation, the group would identify and plan new activities, they said.

The two sides would discuss security issues affecting their relations, it is learnt.

“They will have an exchange of views on counter-terrorism operations, security challenges in Afghanistan and tension along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border areas, the situation in South Asia, Iranian nuclear issue, terrorism threat, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the Middle East,” sources said.