The United States President Donald Trump-led government has refused to share information with India over the use of US-built F-16 fighter jet by Pakistan Air Force (PAF) during an aerial clash with Indian Air Force (IAF) in February, describing the issue as a subject of bilateral matter between Washington and Islamabad.
A US official told The Indian Express, “Soon after we were informed by the Indian side about Pakistan using F-16 aircraft on Feb 27, we informed the Indians that we will not be sharing any information on the subject as it is a bilateral matter between the US and Pakistan.”
According to Dawn news reports, the official stated India understood the American position, which was not Pakistan or India-specific. The official said if any third nation tomorrow seeks data about the C17 or C130 or Apaches that the IAF uses, “our answer would be the same”, adding, “It is a bilateral matter between India and the US.”
The IAF has notified Pentagon in March that PAF has used F-16 jet for an offensive against India which is a violation of a pact signed between Pakistan and the US.
However, Pakistan denied all the Indian reports regarding the issue, saying the PAF had used China-built JF-17 fighter jet to shot down Indian MiG-21 across LOC.
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