Pakistan has finalized a landmark $4.6 billion military agreement to supply advanced weaponry to General Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA), a move that could dramatically shift Libya’s military equilibrium. The deal, confirmed during Pakistani military chief Field Marshal Asim Munir’s visit to Benghazi, represents Pakistan’s largest arms export agreement in history.
The comprehensive arms package includes 16 JF-17 Thunder multirole fighter jets—jointly developed by Pakistan and China—along with 12 Super Mushak trainer aircraft, plus additional land, sea, and air equipment to be delivered over a two-and-a-half-year period. This transaction significantly enhances Haftar’s military capabilities in eastern Libya, where he controls territory opposed to the UN-recognized government in Tripoli led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh.
Field Marshal Munir’s visit featured symbolic rhetoric, with the military leader referencing Libyan resistance hero Omar al-Mukhtar and declaring that ‘Libya is a land of lions’ during an address to LNA officers. The agreement consolidates Pakistan’s growing role as an arms exporter while potentially complicating its diplomatic relationships, particularly with Turkey, which supports the Tripoli government and maintains close security ties with Pakistan.
The deal emerges against a backdrop of prolonged conflict in Libya, where Haftar’s failed 2019 offensive on Tripoli was backed by UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Russia. Meanwhile, Turkey intervened to defend the western-based government. Recent years have seen shifting alliances, with Gulf states establishing ties to Tripoli while Turkey has engaged in outreach to Haftar through his son Saddam, who met with Munir during the Benghazi visit.
Pakistan’s cash-strapped government is actively pursuing arms exports, leveraging military technology tested in conflicts with India. The transaction occurs despite a UN arms embargo imposed on Libya since 2011 and may strain Pakistan’s relationship with Turkey, even as Islamabad’s ties with the United States have improved following high-level meetings between Pakistani officials and former President Donald Trump.