ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s armed forces and Libya’s eastern military leadership on Monday reaffirmed their commitment to sustained engagement and closer defence collaboration, weeks after finalising a multibillion-dollar arms agreement.
According to a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), discussions focused on matters of mutual interest, including regional security dynamics and professional military cooperation.
Libya’s eastern military chief, Field Marshal Khalifa Abu al-Qasim Haftar, called on Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces, at the General Headquarters. Haftar was accompanied by Osama Saad Hammad, prime minister of Libya’s eastern-based parallel government.
The ISPR said both sides underscored the importance of continued engagement between their armed forces, with Field Marshal Munir reiterating Pakistan’s support for peace, stability and institutional development in Libya.
Follow-up to landmark arms deal
Haftar’s visit comes around six weeks after Pakistan and Libya’s eastern military concluded a major defence agreement during Field Marshal Munir’s visit to Benghazi in December. Valued at more than $4 billion, the deal is among Pakistan’s largest-ever arms export contracts and was signed with Saddam Haftar, Khalifa Haftar’s son and deputy.
Under the agreement, Pakistan will supply 16 JF-17 Thunder multi-role fighter jets, jointly developed with China, along with 12 Super Mushshak basic trainer aircraft and other unspecified equipment for Libya’s air, land and naval forces.
The pact also includes provisions for training, capacity building and potential joint manufacturing, with deliveries expected to be completed over the next two and a half years.
Strategic implications
Analysts view the reciprocal visits as a sign of both sides moving to operationalise the December agreement by setting concrete timelines for deliveries, training programmes and broader military cooperation. The engagement is also seen as signalling a longer-term strategic partnership rather than a one-off commercial transaction.
If fully implemented, the deal would mark the first export of JF-17 fighter jets to an Arab country, strengthening Pakistan’s defence export profile and deepening its strategic ties with Libya’s eastern military, despite international sensitivities surrounding the country’s prolonged conflict.