Pakistan has time till May end to avail the American offer to procure eight F-16s at an estimated cost of USD 700 million after Obama administration told Islamabad that it should put forward national funds to buy these fighter jets.


The State Department yesterday told reporters that it has told the Pakistani leadership that "they should put forward national funds" for the purchase of F-16s given that key members of the Congress have made clear that they have objections to using foreign military financing -- American tax payer's money -- to support. In the absence of Pakistani taking any tangible action against the Haqqani network, the Senators have said they would not let the Obama Administration use tax payer's money to give F-16s to Pakistan as notified to the Congress on February 11.