Pakistan strikes $4 billion deal to sell weapons to Libyan force, officials say
Pakistan's foreign ministry, defence ministry and military did not respond to requests for comment.
Highlights:
- Deal, spread over 2-1/2 years, includes JF-17 jets, officials say
- Pakistan's defence industry spans aircraft, vehicles, and naval construction
- Pakistan expands defence exports amid regional competition
- UN arms embargo complicates Libya's military procurement
Pakistan has reached a deal worth over $4 billion to sell military equipment to the Libyan National Army, four Pakistani officials said, despite a Unied Nations (UN) arms embargo on the fractured North African country.
The deal, one of Pakistan's largest-ever weapons sales, was finalised after a meeting last week between Pakistan military chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Saddam Khalifa Haftar, deputy commander-in-chief of the LNA, in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi, said the four officials.
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The officials, all involved in defence matters, declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the deal.
Pakistan's foreign ministry, defence ministry and military did not respond to requests for comment.
Any arms agreement with the LNA is likely to face scrutiny given Libya's long-running instability following a 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi and split the country between rival authorities.
A copy of the deal before it was finalised that was seen by Reuters listed the purchase of 16 JF-17 fighter jets, a multi-role combat aircraft that has been jointly developed by Pakistan and China, and 12 Super Mushak trainer aircraft, used for basic pilot training.
One of the Pakistani officials confirmed the list was accurate while a second official said the arms on the list were all part of the deal but could not provide exact numbers.
One of the Pakistani officials said the deal included the sale of equipment for land, sea and air, spread over 2-1/2 years, adding it could also include the JF-17 fighter jets. Two of the officials said the deal was valued at more than $4 billion, while the other two said it amounted to $4.6 billion.
The LNA's official media channel reported on Sunday (21 December) that the faction had entered a defence cooperation pact with Pakistan, which included weapons sales, joint training and military manufacturing, without providing details.
"We announce the launch of a new phase of strategic military cooperation with Pakistan," Haftar said in remarks broadcast on Sunday (21 December) by Al-Hadath television.
Authorities in Benghazi also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The UN-recognised Government of National Unity, led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, controls much of western Libya, while Haftar's LNA controls the east and south, including major oilfields, and does not recognise the western government's authority.
Arms embargo
Libya has been subject to a UN arms embargo since 2011, requiring approval from the UN for transfers of weapons and related material.
A panel of experts said in a December 2024 report to the UN that the arms embargo on Libya remained "ineffective". The panel said some foreign states had become increasingly open about providing military training and assistance to forces in both eastern and western Libya despite the restrictions.
It was not immediately clear whether Pakistan or Libya had applied for any exemptions to the UN embargo.
