 "President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake hands during a news conference in the East Room of the White House. AP")
Pakistan is rattled by the US’s latest decision to provide the mighty F-35 jets to India, raising concerns about instability in South Asia. On Friday the Pakistani Foreign Office “cautioned” the United States against “exacerbating military imbalances in South Asia” by supplying advanced military technologies to India.
The remarks from the Pakistani foreign ministry came shortly after US President Donald Trump held bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as the two nations reaffirmed their strong ties.
Trump made the offer to sell state-of-the-art fighter jets to India during PM Modi’s two-day visit to Washington. The two leaders have shared a strong camaraderie even during Trump’s first stint in the White House. In its statement over the matter, scared Pakistan raised concerns over the “potential transfer of advanced military technology.”
Pakistan rattled by Trump’s F-35 promise to India
It is pertinent to note that F-35 stealth fighters are touted as one of the most advanced military aircraft globally. If the deal is finalised, India will be part of an exclusive group of nations who are authorities to purchase the jets. These countries include NATO members, Japan and Israel.
“Such steps accentuate military imbalances in the region and undermine strategic stability. They remain unhelpful in achieving the objective of a durable peace in South Asia," Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said in his address to the media.
He called for “international partners” to adopt “a holistic and objective view of the issues of peace and security in South Asia” and avoid taking “one-sided positions divorced from ground realities.”
The Trump-Modi meeting rattled Pakistan to such an extent that the country announced Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s trip to New York next week. While Dar was already scheduled to attend a high-level United Nations Security Council meeting, the foreign office said that Pakistan would also raise its concerns regarding to India-US joint statement.
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More ShortsIslamabad miffed with terror reference in Modi-Trump joint statment
During the presser, the FO spokesperson also noted that Islamabad was uncomfortable with the joint statement which was published following the Modi-Trump meeting. In the statement, both the leaders called out Pakistan and the proliferation of terrorism on its soil.
“We are surprised the reference has been added to the joint statement notwithstanding Pakistan’s counter-terrorism cooperation with the US," Khan said at the media briefing. “Pakistan also remains committed to continue with counter-terrorism efforts, address the issue of terrorism, including acts of terrorism perpetrated by foreign elements. We consider the Pakistan-specific reference in the Indo-US joint statement of Feb 13, 2025, as one-sided, misleading, and contrary to diplomatic norms," he added.
In the joint statement, Trump and PM Modi agreed that Pakistani should punish the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack along with the Pathankot attack. “They committed to strengthen cooperation against terrorist threats from groups, including Al-Qaeda, ISIS, Jaish-e Mohammad, and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba to prevent heinous acts like the attacks in Mumbai on 26/11 and the Abbey Gate bombing in Afghanistan on August 26, 2021," the joint statement reads.
“The leaders further called on Pakistan to expeditiously bring to justice the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai, and Pathankot attacks and ensure that its territory is not used to carry out cross-border terrorist attacks,” it added.