Pakistan on Sunday said it is ”surprised and disappointed” at India’s reaction to the United States’ decision to sell eight nuclear-capable F-16 fighter jets to Islamabad. The country's foreign office said that India is “the largest importer” of defence equipment and its arsenal stock is “much larger”. Pakistan also reiterated the Barack Obama administration’s justification that the acquisition would enhance the country's precision-strike capability to combat terrorism.

Pakistan’s reaction comes a day after India summoned US Ambassador Richard Verma to convey its “displeasure and disappointment” at the Obama administration’s decision. Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar expressed the government's concerns about US military aid to Pakistan, which New Delhi believes is used in anti-India activities.

India had also disagreed with the US' reasoning that military aid will help Pakistan in combating terrorism. “The record of the last many years in this regard speaks for itself,” the Ministry of External Affairs had said in a statement.