Vikrant Shekhawat : Sep 14, 2022, 07:28 PM
New Delhi : Defense Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to his US counterpart over the phone on Wednesday. Rajnath Singh tweeted that he had a meaningful conversation with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. The Defense Minister said that he has expressed concern to Lloyd about the decision of the US government regarding the package to Pakistan's F-16 fleet. Let us tell you that the US has announced $450 million in aid to Pakistan under the F-16 aircraft program. According to media reports, India has already objected to this decision of America, but America had justified its move.What was America's argument?The US has approved the decision to provide $ 450 million to Pakistan for the repair of the planes. The US says that it is an important part of bilateral relations between the US and Pakistan. This will help Pakistan in its campaign against terror. The US stated that this assistance is for maintenance and repair only. No new weapons are being given to Pakistan.Defense Minister Rajnath Singh tweeted that he has discussed mutual strategic cooperation and defense cooperation with Lloyd Austin. Apart from this, he also talked about strengthening the relationship regarding technology and industrial partnership. At the same time, the Defense Minister has objected to giving aid to Pakistan.According to reports, a few days ago when US official Donald Lu was on a visit to India, the State Department had objected to this decision of America. This issue was also raised during the bilateral meeting. At the same time, America is repeatedly saying that this assistance is necessary for the counter-terrorist operation. According to experts, India believes that America should have informed about this. This decision of America can have an impact on India's security.Let us tell you that for the first time in the last four years, America has given military aid to Pakistan. In 2018, Donald Trump shocked Pakistan and canceled three billion dollars of cooperation. Trump had said that Pakistan has failed to stop terror, so it will not be given aid.