- New York (AFP) The
United States is not considering releasing F-16s to Islamabad despite a
public request by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to do so, a senior
US administration official has said.
-
- Musharraf, in an interview with The New York Times published
yesterday, said he hoped for "gestures" from US President George
W. Bush to show Washington's appreciation for Islamabad's cooperation in
the US-led war on terrorism.
-
- Musharraf specifically said he hoped for the release
of US F-16 fighter planes sold to Pakistan when it was an ally against
the Soviet Union and then withheld because of the country's development
of nuclear weapons.
-
- "It is highly unlikely they will ask, and it's not
under consideration," the senior US official, who requested anonymity,
told reporters yesterday hours before Bush and Musharraf were to meet on
the sidelines of the UN General Assembly here.
-
- Copyright © 2001 Press Trust of India Ltd. All rights
reserved.
|
