The United States has approved the sale of $341-million-worth of modern military equipment to Pakistan, a senior official said in Islamabad on Tuesday.
Defence Secretary Hamid Nawaz said the deal was part of Pakistan’s needs discussed by the US-Pakistan Defence Consultative Group, which met in Washington from September 15 to 18.
Nawaz, who led the Pakistani team at the meeting, told journalists that the US Congress’s approval would be needed for two items of defence equipment that Pakistan wanted but he did not identify them.
US clearance was also required for the upgrading of Pakistan’s F-16 fighter aircraft fleet, which Belgium is ready to do, he said.
Pakistan has been seeking modern military equipment to correct the imbalance it says has been created by rival India’s acquisition of high-tech weapons systems from Russia and Israel.
US President George Bush announced a $3-billion aid package, divided equally between economic and military assistance, for Pakistan, an ally in his war on terrorism. — Sapa-DPA