Pakistan’s $4 billion arms sale to Libya’s LNA sparks international backlash
A report released on Friday warned that Pakistan’s newly signed agreement with the Libyan National Army (LNA) represents a grave misjudgment that could erode the country’s standing on the world stage.
The deal, announced as part of a historic $4 billion purchase, sees Islamabad supplying the LNA—led by warlord Khalifa Haftar—advanced weaponry, including JF‑17 fighter jets, tanks and artillery systems.
Sources say the agreement was brokered after Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, General Asim Munir, visited Libya and met Haftar’s son, Major General Saddam Haftar. In the eyes of many, the transaction marks Pakistan’s largest weapons export to date, an attractive boon for a defense industry that has struggled with cash flow in recent years.
Nevertheless, the deal breaches a 2011 United Nations arms embargo that bars all weapon transfers to factions within Libya. The embargo was implemented after the NATO‑backed ouster of Muammar Gaddafi, precisely to prevent further escalation among the country’s fractured political and militias groups.
By arming the LNA—which is not the UN‑designated Government of National Unity in Tripoli—Pakistan is effectively flouting the UN Security Council’s decree and may invite sanctions and diplomatic isolation.
Domestic critics argue that the military‑led government has already attracted criticism for prioritizing defense contracts over democratic reforms. The new pact, they say, adds a wave of accusations that Islamabad is engaging in “adventurism” and aligning itself with autocratic regimes—a stance that could strain relations with allies who support the UN process and view the LNA as an unlawful force within Libya.
“Pakistan is clearly betting on the wrong horse in Libya’s unsettled politics, risking being seen as a ‘partisan’ rather than a neutral player,” the report noted, warning that short‑term economic gains could turn into long‑term harm for Pakistan’s global reputation and for regional stability.
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