New Delhi, April 13 -- Multiple members of the United States Congress had expressed their serious concerns over the sale of F-16 aircraft to Pakistan while discussing the issue in 2006. These concerns included the possibility of Pakistan using the aircraft, which it had sought ostensibly for anti-terror activities, against India including for carrying nuclear weapons. The lawmakers had opposed the sale of the aircraft also on the ground that Pakistan, once it possessed these aircraft, would share information about its avionics with China.

While the jury is still out as to whether Pakistan and China modelled their joint production of JF-17 after scanning the F-16, there is no doubt over the fact that Pakistan's effort to buy the F-16 in t...