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PAKISTAN STRIKES $4B DEAL TO SELL WEAPONS TO LIBYAN FORCE, OFFICIALS SAY Tuesday, 23 December, 2025 | 2 Rajabul Murajjab, 1447
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DEAL REINFORCES PM AND FM ASIM MUNIR’S LEADERSHIP IN PUSH FOR EXPORT-DRIVEN ECONOMY
THE ‘EMBARGO’ ON ARMS EXPORT TO LIBYA IS FACTUALLY NON-EXISTENT DUE TO MULTIPLE REASONS
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ISLAMABAD
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IT ALSO REFLECTS PAKISTAN’S DOMESTIC INDUSTRIAL PROWESS AND FM ASIM MUNIR’S STATESMANSHIP
WITH THIS DEAL, PAKISTAN HAS ANNOUNCED ITS ENTRY INTO THE CLUB OF LEADING EXPORTERS OF CONVENTIONAL ARMS AND EQUIPMENT
Staff report
AKISTAN has reached a deal worth over $4 billion to sell military equipment to the Libyan National Army, four Pakistani officials said, despite a U.N. 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-inchief of the LNA, in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi, said the four officials. 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. The multi-billion-dollar major conventional arms export deal by Pakistan to Libya is reflective of two key aspects. The deal endorses PM Shahbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir’s leadership for an export-driven self-sustained economy. It also reflects Pakistan’s domestic industrial prowess on one hand and FM Asim Munir’s statesmanship as a soldier diplomat on the other. In recent past, Pakistan has made remarkable progress in developing its indigenous industrial base including mines and minerals, artificial intelligence, Information Technology, Crytpo currency,
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Large-scale manufacturing, Agriculture and defence technologies, etc. Pakistan’s indigenous defence products were demonstrated and admired by all in the recent Mark-e-Haq. Pakistan has a long history of being a supplier of conventional arms and equipment to many countries for quite some time now. However, the deal struck with Libya is historic in terms of size and financial impact; a credit to Field Marshal Asim Munir’s extraordinary skills in military diplomacy. On UN arms embargo on Libya, first it needs to acknowledge that many major Western and Middle East have been supplying weapons and equipment to Libya for many years. So, there is a paper embargo which is factually non-existent due to mul-
tiple reasons, not least that all parties are now selling to all since more than a decade. With this deal, Pakistan has announced its entry into the club of leading exporters of conventional arms and equipment. However, a Reuters report says the arms agreement with the LNA is likely to face scrutiny given Libya’s long-running instability following a 2011 NATObacked uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi and split the country between rival authorities. The LNA’s official media channel reported on Sunday 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 by Al-Hadath television. Authorities in Benghazi also did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The U.N.-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 U.N. arms embargo since 2011, requiring approval from the U.N. for transfers of weapons and related material. A panel of experts said in a December 2024 report to the U.N. 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 U.N. embargo. Three of the Pakistani officials said the deal had not broken any U.N. weapons embargo. One of the officials said Pakistan is not the only one to make deals with Libya; another said there are no sanctions on Haftar; and a third said Benghazi authorities are witnessing better relations with Western governments, given rising fuel exports.
Saudi Arabia confers Kingdom’s highest national honour on COAS Field Marshal Asim Munir RAWALPINDI
Staff CorreSpondent
Saudi Arabia has conferred the Kingdom’s highest national honour, the King Abdulaziz Medal Excellent Class, upon Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir in recognition of his central role in advancing defence cooperation, strategic coordination, and institutional linkages between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. The medal was conferred on Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir by Saudi Arabia’s Defence Minister, Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, during his official visit to the Kingdom, according to a news release issued by Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR). The conferment of the King Abdulaziz Medal of Excellent Class underscores the depth of Pakistan– Saudi Arabia relations and the shared determination of both nations to further strengthen strategic cooperation in pursuit of regional and global peace. It also reflects his contributions toward regional peace and stability, including sustained collaboration in counter-terrorism and security. Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, NI (M), HJ, COAS & CDF called on Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Minister of Defence of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, during his official visit to the Kingdom. During the meeting, both sides held discussions on matters of mutual interest, including regional security dynamics, defence and military cooperation, strategic collaboration, and evolving geopolitical challenges, it further said. The interaction reaffirmed the deeprooted, historic, and brotherly relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.