SHAHBAZ AIRBASE (Jacobabad): Chief of the Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani said on Monday that parliament would determine the contour of Pakistan's future relationship with the US.

In a rare media interaction, along with the Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman standing next to him, Gen Kayani said the government's policy was clear and all matters, including the terms of engagement with the US and Nato and the question of restoring Nato supplies cut off after the attack on two military checkposts in Mohmand Agency in November last year, would be decided by parliament.

Earlier, the army and air chiefs possibly for the first time flew at the same time on Block-52 F-16 multi-role fighter jets at the Shahbaz Air base.

Gen Kayani referred to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's statement about Pak-US relationship which sent a strong message that the political and military leadership were on the same page on the issue of national security.

He said the parliamentary committee on national security was looking into all aspects of the issue and its recommendations would be brought before parliament which would take a final decision.

A visit by journalists on the occasion had apparently been arranged to clear a misperception that the base was still under the control of US forces.

The army chief dispelled the impression that a major chunk of the budget was eaten up by the military.

He claimed that the defence budget constituted 18 per cent of the total budget outlay this year and it was 17 per cent of the total budget last year.

“It would come around nine per cent, if the spending of the two other services was excluded,” he said.

Answering a question, he said the F-16 Block-52 was a modern fighter aircraft which would immensely enhance the potency of Pakistan Air Force. “We will try not to use these jets in operations against insurgents in tribal areas.”

He said the air power had been used at the minimum possible level in the war on terror.

Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleyman said the western and eastern borders were safe. About India's cold start doctrine with a focus on aerial power, he said the PAF had the capability to avert any threat posed by the doctrine.

He said Pakistan had received 18 F-16 Block-52 planes, besides 14 used jets for almost free.

He said the Block-15 planes acquired in the early 80s were in the process of mid-term upgradation (MLU) to bring their avionics, radar and night operations capability on par with the Block-52 fighter jets.

He said two of the upgraded planes had recently been received while three more were due this month. He said all the remaining 30 planes would be delivered by 2014.

“The aim now is to train sufficient number of people and consolidate our position”. He said the hardware acquired in the recent past was sufficient to meet the country's defence needs.

About prospects of a deal with China for purchase of J-10 fighter planes, he said that the PAF would like to go for it in case of availability of funds.

He brushed aside the impression that the modern F-16s had some inbuilt features restricting their capacity to intercept and attack the intruding US aircraft.

“We have not found any such thing in these aircraft”. He, however, said he hoped a situation would not arise to put it to test.

Answering a question, he said Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for surveillance purposes were already being produced at Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC), Kamra. About killer drones, he said: “We will work on it”.

Earlier, Deputy Chief of Air Staff (operations) Air Marshal Waseemuddin said during a briefing that one of the four Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS) from China had been delivered last month.

Answering a question, he said the PAF was bound by policies of the government and had no other special relationship with the US.

The Commander of Shahbaz Airbase said the US forces had been allowed to operate from the base after the 9/11 episode, but claimed that it had been vacated way back in 2004. He, however, confirmed that an unspecified number of technical experts from the US were at the base.

He said after acquisition of F-16 Block-52, there were two options, either to send a large number of personnel to the US or contract small teams of non-uniformed US personnel for training in specific areas.

He said they were given visa for specified period in consultation with the Ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs.