Pakistan has signed a multi-billion-dollar agreement to supply conventional military equipment to the Libyan National Army (LNA), joining a select group of countries that export such arms.
According to an international news agency, the deal, valued at over $4 billion, is among Pakistan’s largest weapons sales to date. It was finalised following a meeting last week in Benghazi between Chief of Defence Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir and LNA deputy commander-in-chief Saddam Khalifa Haftar, officials said.
While the foreign ministry, defence ministry, and military did not respond to requests for comment, military officials described the agreement as “historic in terms of size and financial impact.”
According to a copy of the agreement obtained by Reuters, Super Mushak trainer aircraft, which are used for basic pilot training, and JF-17 fighter fighters, which are jointly built by China and Pakistan, were purchased. The agreement also covers air, sea, and ground equipment over a 2.5-year period and may include more JF-17 fighter fighters, according to a Pakistani official.
Libya has been subject to an arms embargo since 2011, which means that any transfers of weapons must be approved by the United Nations (UN). Senior Pakistani military officials defended the sale, noting that many Western and Middle Eastern states have supplied equipment to Libya despite the embargo.
They described the restriction as a “paper embargo” and said the move aligns with the prime minister and army chief’s vision of an “export-driven, self-sustained economy.”
Libya remains divided between the internationally-recognised Government of National Unity, led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah in the west, and Haftar’s LNA in the east and south, which controls major oilfields and does not recognise the Unity government.
Libya’s continued instability after the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that overthrew Muammar Gaddafi means that any arms deal with the LNA is likely to be scrutinized.
The LNA’s official media reported on Sunday that it had entered a defence cooperation pact with Pakistan, covering weapons sales, joint training, and military manufacturing, without providing further details.
Haftar said in a broadcast by Al-Hadath television, “We announce the launch of a new phase of strategic military cooperation with Pakistan.” Authorities in Benghazi did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Pakistan has been seeking to expand defence exports, leveraging decades of counterinsurgency experience and a domestic defence industry that includes aircraft production and overhaul, armoured vehicles, munitions, and naval construction.
Field Marshal Munir was quoted on Al-Hadath as saying, “Our recent war with India demonstrated our advanced capabilities to the world.”