India takes a jibe a Pakistan's flip flop, says never changed position on Pak using F-16

In a jibe at Pakistan, India has said that it never changed its position that Islamabad used F-16 during the attack on Indian military installations on February 27.

Pakistan has been seeing doing flip flops from a number of Indian pilots it captured to delay in acceptance of the use of F-16.

Pakistan army's media wing — the ISPR — Inter-Services Public Relations in a release on April 1 accepted that F-16s were airborne, accepting the use of the fighter aircraft more than a month after the incident.

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The ministry of external affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, "we have said from the beginning, we haven't ever changed our position that Pak has used F-16."

India has already raised the matter with the US regarding the use of F-16s given by Washington to Islamabad. New Delhi had provided evidence of the use of F-16 by showing the use of the AMRAAM missile that can only be deployed on F-16.

The spokesperson said, "whether and under what circumstances F16 is or is not allowed will have to come from the US."

Adding, "Fact of the matter is that it was used and we understand as per the understanding of the use of F-16 between Us and Pak, it should have not been done and we are why had flagged with the US."

The Pakistani Army in its April 1 release said, "Even if F-16 have been used as at that point in time complete PAF was airborne including F16s, the fact remains that Pakistan Airforce shot down two Indian jets in self-defence. ..India can assume any type of their choice even F-16. Pakistan retains the right to use anything and everything in its legitimate self-defence."

The use of F-16s by Pakistan can have implications since the US had given F-16s to Islamabad for counter-terror operations. The US state dept has said that it is "taking a look" on the use of F-16 by Pakistan on February 27.