Pakistan Army Chief holds talks with Libyan PM amid reported defence deal

Islamabad: Libyan National Army Commander Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar met with Pakistan's Army Chief Asim Munir. The Pakistani army announced on Monday that the meeting between Haftar and Munir took place in Rawalpindi. During the meeting, both sides discussed military cooperation and regional security. This meeting is significant as it comes just weeks after a purported $4 billion arms deal between the two countries. Pakistan is continuously striving to improve relations with Libya and increase arms sales to the country.

Dawn, citing the Pakistani army's media wing, reported that Field Marshal Khalifa Abu al-Qasim Haftar, Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces in eastern Libya, arrived in Pakistan along with Osama Saad Hammad, Prime Minister of the eastern Libyan government. Both emphasized military engagement and cooperation during their meeting with Munir.

The Libya-Pakistan Deal

Haftar's visit to Pakistan comes approximately six weeks after Field Marshal Munir's visit to Benghazi last December. According to reports, during Munir's visit, Islamabad and the eastern Libyan army finalized a major defense agreement. This deal, worth over $4 billion, is one of Pakistan's largest arms export agreements to date.

Under this agreement, Pakistan will supply Libya with 16 JF-17 Thunder multi-role fighter jets (co-produced with China), 12 Mushshak trainer aircraft, and other military equipment, including drones for ground and naval forces. If fully implemented, this would be Pakistan's first export of JF-17 fighter jets to an Arab country. Libya is under sanctions.

Pakistani media has claimed that a $4 billion defense deal with Libya has been finalized. However, this deal has not yet been officially confirmed. Libya has been under UN arms sanctions since 2011, which require UN approval for the transfer of weapons. It is unclear whether Pakistan or Libya applied for an exemption from the UN sanctions.

Pakistan's Army Chief, Asim Munir, has also been making false claims to sell weapons to Libya. During his visit to Libya last December, he told Libyan military officials that the JF-17 fighter jets were indigenously manufactured in Pakistan. However, this jet was developed by Pakistan with the help of China. He also made several other exaggerated claims about Pakistan's military technology.