John Kerry: F-16 a critical for Pak's fight against terrorists
US admits concern over ISI’s terror links

US admits concern over ISI’s terror links
Amid stiff opposition from India and top American legislators against the sale of F-16s to Pakistan, US secretary of state John Kerry on Thursday strongly defended the decision arguing that these fighter jets are a “critical” part of Pakistan’s fight against terrorists.
“The F-16s have been a critical part of the Pakistani fight against the terrorists in the western part of that country, and have been effective in that fight. And Pakistan has lost some 50,000 people in the last few years, including troops, to the terrorists that are threatening Pakistan itself,” Mr Kerry told legislators during a congressional hearing.
“So it’s always complicated. We try to be sensitive to the balance, obviously, with respect to India. But we think the F-16s are an important part of Pakistan’s ability to do that,” Mr Kerry said when Indian-American Congre-ssman Ami Bera joined other legislators in expressing concern over the proposed sale.
Mr Kerry said the US has been really working hard in building the relationship, and “trying to advance even the raproshma” between India and Pakistan.
“We encourage that. I think it’s required courage by both leaders to engage in the dialogue that they’ve engaged in,” he said.
“And needless to say, we don’t want to do things that upset the balance. But we do believe that Pakistan is engaged legitimately in a very tough fight against identifiable terrorists in their country that threaten Pakistan,” the top American diplomat said.
However, The US is deeply concerned about the ISI’s links with terror groups like the dreaded Haqqani Network, Mr Kerry said.
“I mean, the President, all of us, are deeply concerned about the ISI relationships, deeply concerned about the Haqqani Network’s freedom to be able to have operated.”
The issue is expected to come up for discussion during next week’s US-Pakistan strategic dialogue in Washington.
Mr Kerry’s remarks on ISI came after Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard raised the issue of the spy agency’s links with the Haqqani network.
A top US legislator has introduced a “joint resolution” in the House of Representatives to express Congress’s disapproval over the sale the F-16s to Pakistan.
“The government of Pakistan has been using weapons from the US to repress its own citizens and especially the people of Baluchistan,” Congressman Dana Rohrabacher said on Thursday after he introduced the resolution.
A day earlier, former Republican presidential hopeful Senator Rand Paul had introduced the joint resolution in the Senate to block sale of the jets. The resolution also calls for prohibiting the sale of other military hardware to Pakistan including advanced integrated defensive electronic warfare suites.