ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has concluded a multi-billion-dollar export agreement to supply conventional arms and equipment to Libya, according to informed sources.
Sources said the deal reflects the government’s push toward an export-led, self-sustaining economy and carries strong political and strategic significance. They added that the agreement is being seen within official circles as an endorsement of the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir, particularly in advancing defence exports through proactive military diplomacy.
According to the sources, the agreement underscores Pakistan’s growing indigenous industrial capacity, especially in defence manufacturing, alongside parallel progress in sectors such as large-scale manufacturing, information technology, artificial intelligence, agriculture, and minerals. Officials note that Pakistan’s domestically produced defence systems and platforms, showcased recently during the Marka-e-Haq exercises, attracted significant international interest.
Sources further pointed out that Pakistan has a longstanding record as a supplier of conventional military equipment to multiple countries, but described the Libya deal as unprecedented in scale and financial impact, potentially marking a turning point for the country’s defence export profile.
On concerns related to the United Nations arms embargo on Libya, sources maintained that the embargo has, in practice, been widely breached for years, with several Western and Middle Eastern countries supplying arms and equipment to various Libyan actors over an extended period. In this context, they argued, the current agreement should be viewed against an established pattern of international engagement.
With this development, sources said, Pakistan is positioning itself among the emerging exporters of conventional arms and defence equipment, reinforcing the role of defence production as a contributor to foreign exchange earnings and industrial growth.
Officials emphasised that further details of the agreement are expected to be shared at an appropriate stage through official channels.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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