Not aware of US request about F-16 use: Pak envoy

WASHINGTON: Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States Asad Majeed Khan has said that he was not aware of any request made by the US about the use of F-16 fighter jets in the recent stand-off with India.

"On F-16, I don't know, India has been alleging so many other things. We don't get into every single one of them. I am not aware of request from the US side about the F-16," he said during a session at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) on Monday.

Answering a question about media reports suggesting that the US was seeking more information on the alleged misuse of F-16 against India as a potential violation of the end-user agreement, the ambassador said that he has "not seen those end user agreements. I am not in a position to comment on that."

The ambassador also urged the international community to take India's aggression against Pakistan into account, and maintained that lack of such notice would embolden the aggressor. "When a country commits an act of blatant aggression as was committed against Pakistan, then the international community must come out clearly in condemning that act. That lack of condemnation would then embolden the country, who's resorting to that aggression."

He appreciated US role in de-escalating recent India-Pakistan military conflict that cost India its two fighter jets. An India aircraft fighter pilot was also captured during the aerial confrontation by Pakistan's army, who was later handed back to Delhi as a gesture of peace, he said. "I think US has of late played an important role in counseling restraint and using its good offices to deal with the situation," he said.

Ambassador Khan added that Pakistan has offered India to engage in dialogue to resolve issues. "I am sure we will be able to fix nuances and differences in terms of who should have done what. But first of all we need to have commitment to sit across, seek dialogue," he said.

Talking about US-Pakistan relations, he said that both countries have pursued common goals inspired by shared ideals and common objectives. "We have achieved remarkable successes whenever we worked together," he said adding that President Trump and Prime Minister Imran Khan were on the same page in bringing peace to Afghanistan.

He insisted that Pakistan was making every effort to facilitate peace, adding that there would be no peace in Afghanistan until all Afghans were on board. "To that extent, Pakistan is doing whatever it can do, that perhaps is our way of making a contribution to a conflict that we want to see end sooner than later because after Afghanistan, Pakistan is the one that has suffered the most." He also maintained that Pakistan US ties should not be seen through Afghan prism.

He said that Pulwama incident could not have come at a worse time since Pakistan has been consumed at its western border. "There are 780 border posts that we man on our border with Afghanistan just to deal with that allegation of elements crossing border from Pakistan. Although, unfortunately on the Afghanistan side border posts are a little over 100. We have already erected a fence which is almost 900 kilometers. So, when there's escalation on the eastern border it certainly diverts Pakistan attention," the ambassador said.