Monday, November 7 2005 15:58 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Islamabad: Pakistan and the United States have reached an understanding which allows Islamabad to temporarily delay a deal to purchase F-16 fighter jets.

President Pervez Musharraf had said on Friday (Nov 4, 2005) that Pakistan would postpone the purchase of the jets from the US to focus on quake relief and rehabilitation work.

The Bush administration also delayed an earlier decision to seek Congressional approval for the proposed deal till at least the next session. The current Congressional session expires before November 24 and the next begins in January.

The decision to delay the F-16 deal was finalised at a meeting between Ambassador Jehangir Karamat and US Assistant Secretary of State Christina Rocca on Friday, 'Dawn' daily reported from Washington.

Karamat said the deal was going to cost Pakistan as much as USD 4 billion and "we felt that at this stage we need that money for the earthquake victims." US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was expected to brief the House of Representatives International Relations Committee on the proposed sale of F-16s in a classified session on Wednesday.

She would have then sent a formal notification or soon after. After notification, Congress has 30 days to pass a resolution of disapproval if it wants to block the sale.