Legislation to block F-16 sales soon

A legislation will be introduced in the United States Congress seeking to prohibit the sale of F-16 fighter planes and all military assistance to Pakistan, a senior Congressman said on Monday.

The official added that this could be shelved unless Pakistan provides the US government with access to renegade nuclear scientist A Q Khan.

Announcing the legislation, Congressman Gary Ackerman, Democratic Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, said, "It is incomprehensible that we would provide sophisticated military equipment to Pakistan when President Pervez Musharraf refuses to let us interview Khan."

Ackerman expects to introduce the legislation this week when Congress reconvenes from its Easter recess.

On March 23, Ackerman urged President George W Bush to oppose the sale of F-16s to Pakistan in a letter written co-signed by other members of the caucus.

Despite that correspondence, the President decided to move forward with the sale.

"After all, Khan is only the world's biggest individual proliferator of nuclear technology to two countries of Bush's evil axis and he tried to sell to the third... If they couldn't control their own nuke programme, how would you expect them to safeguard our stuff?" Ackerman asked.

The Ackerman Bill will not allow for assistance to Pakistan to encourage continued cooperation on counter-narcotics, anti-terrorism as well as peacekeeping.

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