Pakistan has signed a historic multi-billion-dollar deal with Libyan National Army to sell military equipment. Officials say the contract worth over $4 billion is one of Pakistan’s largest weapons exports. The pact was finalized after a formal meeting between the Chief of Defense forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and Deputy Commander-in-Chief, General Saddam Khalifa Haftar in Benghazi, the eastern city of Libya.
The details of this deal have emerged from official statements and documents. Official comments and documentation have revealed the specifics of this agreement. These statistics indicate that 16 JF-17 multi-role fighter jets and 12 Super Mushak trainer aircraft will be delivered by Pakistan.
The sale also includes range of armoured vehicles, boats and other systems. In short, equipment for land, air and sea will be delivered over about two and a half years. All of this hardware comes from Pakistan’s own defense industry.
Libyan authorities have hailed the pact as a broader defense partnership. The Commander Khalifa Haftar said in his remarks that:
it marked the launch of a new phase of strategic partnership with Pakistan.
Commander Khalifa Haftar
Pakistani statements also emphasize plans for collaboration in capacity-building and training.
The agreement was reached in spite of the ongoing conflict in Libya and the UN arms embargo that has been in effect since Muammar Gadaffi’s overthrow in 2011. A recent UN report also mentioned that the ban is widely flouted, saying many countries continued to arm Libyan factions.
The officials of Pakistan insist the transaction does not violate any UN sanction, pointing out that no specific embargo targets Haftar’s force and that Pakistan is not alone in seeking ties with Libya’s eastern military. Observers say the agreement will likely be closely watched given Libya’s fragility and embargo.