The United States has returned the money Pakistan had paid it for the purchase of F-16 fighter planes. This follows the American Congress' refusal to endorse the deal.

Pakistan Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali disclosed this in an interview to arabic daily Okaz published on Saturday.

Jamali is currently in Saudi Arabia for talks with top officials.

The Pakistan Air force has now  approached Belgium to buy two squadrons of used F-16 planes, according to reports in the Pakistani media.

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 $ 3 billion aid granted by President George W Bush during his Camp David meeting with President Pervez Musharraf.