Pakistan makes formal request for Belgian F16s

Below is a news item from Pakistani newspaper:

Pakistan asks formally for F-16 fighter planes
By Zia Iqbal Shahid
(Updated at 2130 PST)
Brussels: Belgium officially confirmed on Monday, saying Pakistan has made a formal request to the Belgian government to provide up to two squadrons of F-16 fighter planes and the Belgian defence ministry, in its initial response to the Pakistani request, seems “inclined to oblige Pakistan by providing the required number of F-16 fighter planes”.

Belgium defence minister, André Flahaut, has reportedly expressed his optimism that there will be no problem in selling F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan. Belgium had bought the F-16 planes from the US and the contract stipulated that Belgium could only sell them with the approval of the US. “The dossier (F-16) has not yet been examined, therefore, we have not initiated consultation with the US as yet”, Belgian defence minister is reported as saying.

Belgian defence minister confirmed that the government of Pakistan had made a formal request to the Belgian government to provide F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan and the “Pakistani request is under active consideration of the Belgian defence authorities”.