Libya: Pakistan jet deal faces embargo and diplomatic risks

Pakistan’s reported negotiations to supply fighter jets to eastern Libya have highlighted the diplomatic and legal risks facing Islamabad as it expands its defence exports into politically fragmented regions, as reported by Middle East Eye and agencies on January 30.

Pakistan and the Libyan National Army (LNA) reportedly negotiated a multi-billion-dollar defence package in December that would include JF-17 fighter jets and Super Mushshak training aircraft. The deal was valued at about $4bn, allegedly negotiated between Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Saddam Haftar, the LNA’s deputy commander-in-chief.

The talks come despite Libya being subject to a United Nations arms embargo. Additionally, Libya remains divided between two family-based rival administrations as international efforts to promote unity continue.

Sources familiar with Pakistan’s arms export practices say Islamabad generally seeks to avoid supplying weapons to states with contested sovereignty, including Libya, even indirectly through third parties such as Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates.

The LNA has long depended on external backers, such as the UAE and Russia. Analysts say any large procurement, such as the fighter jet deal with Pakistan, would require foreign financing, most likely coming from the UAE.

However, concerns extend beyond financing. While the Benghazi-based authorities could deploy combat aircraft as leverage against the UN-recognised, Turkish-backed Government of National Unity in Tripoli, the aircraft could also be used in regional conflicts linked to Sudan, where Libya has served as a logistical corridor for armed groups such as the Rapid Support Forces.

Pakistani sources with ties to the military establishment suggest that, given production constraints and political sensitivities, Libya is unlikely to be prioritised. Pakistan faces a congested order book for the JF-17, alongside the need for sustained Chinese and Turkish cooperation to deliver the aircraft. The platform relies heavily on Chinese systems and Turkish components.

Diplomatically, Islamabad is also wary of straining relations with Ankara, a close defence partner that backs the GNU. Taken together, embargo restrictions, uncertain financing and competing strategic alliances have cast doubt on whether Pakistan’s proposed jet deal with Libya will move beyond the current stage of negotiations.

Middle East Eye and agencies, Maghrebi.org