External Affairs Minister Jaishankar raised questions about the merits of US-Pakistan relations

External Affairs Minister Dr.S.Jaishankar has raised questions over the "merits" of the US-Pakistan relationship and said that, Washington's ties with Islamabad have not served the "American interest". Indian Minister was reacting for a question on US action on F-16 fighter jets with Pakistan.

"For someone to say I am doing this because it is all counter-terrorism content and so when you are talking of an aircraft like a capability of an F-16 where everybody knows, you know where they are deployed and their use. You are not fooling anybody by saying these things," Jaishankar noted.

"It's a relationship that has neither ended up serving Pakistan well nor serving the American interests," Jaishankar said at an event organized by the Indian American community in Washington on Sunday.

"It's really for the United States today to reflect on the merits of this relationship and what they get by it," Jaishankar asserted.

"If I were to speak to an American policy-maker, I would really make the case, look what you are doing," Jaishankar strongly asserted.

Just weeks ago, for the first time since 2018, US State Department approved a Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to the Government of Pakistan for the sustainability of the Pakistan Air Force F-16 fleet and equipment at the cost of USD 450 million.

Jaishankar on Saturday concluded the high-level United Nations General Assembly debate in New York and also is scheduled to spend the next three days in Washington. And the minister is scheduled to meet with his American counterpart Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and other top officials of the Biden administration.