India concerned over supply of sophisticated US military equipments to Pak

New Delhi, Mar 4 : India has expressed its concern over supply of sophisticated US military equipment to boost Pakistan's ability crack down on the Taliban and Al-Qaida.

The US will supply sophisticated laser-guided-bomb kits, 12 American-made surveillance drones and 18 late-model F-16 fighters jets to Pakistan.

Defence Minister AK Antony today expressed his concern over the reported decision of the US to supply a whole array of sophisticated laser guided bomb kits, surveillance drones and latest-model F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan.

"Given our bitter past experience of how Islamabad used such aid against India, Washington should ensure that the latest tranche of military aid is used only for the purpose of countering Al Qaida and Taliban terrorists and not against India," Antony said on Thursday.

With this new arms aid, US counterinsurgency assistance fund for Pakistan is slated to double increase to 1.2 billion dollars in 2011.

Just a few months ago, the talk of increasing monetary and military aid to Pakistan created a furor in US Congress with lawmakers questioning what action Pakistan has taken against militancy in return for US aid over the last decade.