After Jaishankar's 'not fooling anyone' jab, US responds on F-16 assist to Pak | World News

America defended itself Tuesday from overseas minister S Jaishankar's sharp assault over help for Pakistan's F-16 fighter jets, saying it didn't view its relationship with Delhi and Islamabad 'in relation to at least one one other'.

"We do not view our relationship with Pakistan... our relationship with India... in relation to at least one one other... each companions of ours with totally different factors of emphasis..." state division spokesperson Ned Value informed reporters.

"We glance to each as companions, as a result of we do have in lots of circumstances shared values. We do have in lots of circumstances shared pursuits. And the connection we now have with India stands by itself. The connection we now have with Pakistan stands by itself," he stated.

On Sunday, Jaishankar referred to as on the US to mirror on its relationship with Pakistan, observing it 'will not be fooling anybody' by claiming help for Pak's F-16 was meant for counterterrorism.

"On the finish of the day... to say I'm doing it for 'counterterrorism'... you might be speaking of an plane of the potential of a F-16 (and) everybody is aware of the place they're deployed. You aren't fooling anyone by saying these items," he stated.

READ | 'Not fooling anybody': Jaishankar on US help for Pakistan F-16s

America just lately offered Pakistan with a $450 million package deal that Pentagon referred to as a 'F-16 case for sustainment and associated gear'. The nomenclature apart, that was the primary main army take care of Pak because the Trump administration stopped assist in 2018.

Trump did so after saying Islamabad had not acted on terror teams on its soil.

Pakistan has a sizeable F-16 fleet however relies on the US for help.

READ | US army assist to Pakistan for F-16 fighters raises alarm in India

The $450 million doesn't embrace, Washington stated, upgrades to plane functionality or weapons, however help for a fighter used towards India after the 2019 Balakot air strikes raised eyebrows in Delhi.

India expressed its displeasure by way of diplomatic channels and defence minister Rajnath Singh additionally conveyed issues to the US.

In the meantime, Jaishankar - talking at a neighborhood occasion in Washington, D.C. - was additionally forthright in his evaluation of US-Pak ties.

"Very actually, it's a relationship that has ended up serving neither Pakistan nor serving American pursuits nicely... for the US to mirror what the deserves of the connection [are] and what they get by protecting it form of persevering with."

With enter from ANI, PTI