By Ariba Shahid and Asif Shahzad
KARACHI, Dec 22 (Reuters) – Pakistan 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-in-chief 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.
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 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.
PAKISTAN EYEING MARKETS
Pakistan has been seeking to expand defence exports, drawing on decades of counterinsurgency experience and a domestic defence industry that spans aircraft production and overhaul, armoured vehicles, munitions and naval construction.
Islamabad has cited its Air Force’s performance in clashes with India in May.
“Our recent war with India demonstrated our advanced capabilities to the world,” military chief Munir said in remarks broadcast by Al-Hadath on Sunday.
Pakistan markets the Chinese co-developed JF-17 as a lower-cost multi-role fighter and has positioned itself as a supplier able to offer aircraft, training and maintenance outside Western supply chains.
Pakistan has also been deepening security ties with Gulf partners, signing a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement with Saudi Arabia in September 2025 and holding senior-level defence talks with Qatar.
The Libya deal would expand Pakistan’s footprint in North Africa as regional and international powers compete for influence over Libya’s fragmented security institutions and oil-backed economy.
(Reporting by Ariba Shahid in KarachiEditing by Saad Sayeed and Frances Kerry)
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