Islamabad: Pakistan has finalized a landmark defence agreement worth more than $4 billion to supply military equipment to the Libyan National Army (LNA), Pakistani officials confirmed, marking one of the largest weapons export deals in the country’s history.
According to multiple senior Pakistani officials, the agreement was concluded following a high-level meeting last week between Pakistan’s Chief of Defence, Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Saddam Khalifa Haftar, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the LNA, in Benghazi, eastern Libya. The deal is expected to be implemented over a period of two and a half years.
Officials said the package includes the sale of JF-17 Thunder fighter jets, along with other military hardware and support systems. The JF-17, jointly developed by Pakistan and China, has become a flagship export product of Pakistan’s defence industry.
Pakistan’s defence manufacturing sector has steadily expanded over the past decade, encompassing combat aircraft, armoured vehicles, ammunition, and naval vessels. The Libyan deal underscores Islamabad’s growing ambitions to position itself as a competitive player in the global arms market, particularly among developing and conflict-affected states.
The agreement comes despite a United Nations arms embargo on Libya, imposed due to the country’s prolonged civil conflict and political fragmentation. Libya has remained divided between rival administrations in the east and west since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, complicating international military procurement and oversight.
While Pakistani officials did not publicly comment on how the deal aligns with UN restrictions, analysts note that arms transfers to Libya have continued through various channels despite the embargo, reflecting geopolitical rivalries and shifting alliances in the region.
The defence export push also reflects Pakistan’s broader strategy to diversify revenue sources amid economic challenges at home, while strengthening military and diplomatic ties abroad.
Neither the Libyan National Army nor the United Nations has issued an official response to the reported agreement so far.
