Dubai: The United States has returned the money Pakistan had paid for the purchase of F-16 fighter planes after the American Congress refused to endorse the deal.

This was disclosed by Pakistan Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali in an interview to Saudi Arabic daily 'Okaz' published on August 23. Jamali is currently in Saudi Arabia for talks with top officials.

The US rejected Pakistan's request to provide F-16 planes, after which the Pakistan Air Force approached Belgium to buy two squadrons of used F-16 planes, according to reports in the Pakistani media recently.

Belgium had bought the planes from the US and the contract stipulated that it could resell them only with the approval of the US.

Meanwhile, the US has decided to give six C-130 military cargo planes to Pakistan as part of a defence assistance committed under the $ three billion aid granted by President George W Bush during his Camp David meeting with President Pervez Musharraf.

PTI