Move to block F-16s to Pakistan won't succeed, Pak diplomat

(Iftikhar Ali)

April 06, 2005

NEW YORK: -- A senior Pakistani diplomat said Tuesday that any move by a pro-India U.S. lawmaker seeking to prohibit the sale of F-16 jets and all military assistance to Pakistan would not succeed.

"We don't feel threatened by it," Deputy Chief of Pakistan Mission Mohammad Sadiq said, referring to Congressman Gary Ackerman's stated intention to introduce a legislation in the U.S. Congress linking the arm sales with allowing the U.S. government to interview A.Q. Khan.

"We have the necessary votes ... we're in a comfortable position," Mr. Sadiq told The Nation in a telephone interview from Washington. "His (Ackerman's) legislation would make no difference, whatsoever."

Ackerman said he would submit his legislation next week when Congress reconvenes after it's Easter recess. At the same time, he said that this could be shelved if Pakistan provides the US government with access to Mr. Khan.

Announcing his legislation Monday, Ackerman, Democratic Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian-Americans, said, "It is incomprehensible that we would provide sophisticated military equipment to Pakistan when President Pervez Musharraf refuses to let us interview Khan."

On March 23, Ackerman urged President George W Bush to oppose the sale of F-16s to Pakistan in a letter written co-signed by other members of the caucus. But the President responded by moving forward with the sale.

"After all, Khan is only the world's biggest individual proliferator of nuclear technology to two countries of Bush's evil axis and he tried to sell to the third... If they couldn't control their own nuke programme, how would you expect them to safeguard our stuff?" Ackerman asked.

Asked for his comments, Mr. Sadiq said, "We're aware of his views, and this is what we expect from him. We know the lobbies that support him."

A congressional aide went on to say that Ackerman was "more Indian than the Indians."