Pakistan and Libya affirm their shared intention to promote peace and stability

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Libyan Prime Minister Dr. Osama Saad Hamad on Tuesday reiterated their commitment to enhance cooperation in areas of common interest and promote peace, stability and development at the regional and international levels.

According to a press release issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), a high-level Libyan delegation visited the prime minister at the Prime Minister House today.

The Libyan delegation included Prime Minister Hamad, Commander-in-Chief of the Libyan Arab Armed Forces Field Marshal Khalifa Abu-al-Qasim Haftar, and Deputy Commander-in-Chief Lieutenant General Saddam Khalifa Haftar.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir were also present during the meeting.

During the discussions, both sides exchanged views on issues of mutual interest and stressed the importance of strengthening bilateral relations. “The meeting reflected the shared desire to enhance cooperation in areas of common interest and promote peace, stability and development at the regional and international levels,” the PMO statement said.

Prime Minister Shehbaz reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to fostering friendly relations with Libya and emphasized the importance of continued engagement and dialogue. The Libyan leaders appreciated Pakistan’s role and expressed interest in expanding collaboration between the two countries, the statement added.

The meeting concluded with an understanding to maintain close contact and explore avenues for future cooperation.

The Deputy Commander-in-Chief also called on Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf at the Naval Headquarters.

Both leaders deliberated on matters of mutual interest, the evolving regional maritime security landscape and ways to further strengthen defense and training cooperation.

The Libyan official praised the Pakistan Navy as a “critical force for regional peace and maritime security.” Both leaders reaffirmed their determination to further diversify and strengthen the scope of the existing bilateral defense relationship.

The Libyan prime minister and armed forces officials are visiting Pakistan and have met officials. A day ago, CDF Munir discussed regional security dynamics in a meeting with senior Libyan military officials.

“Both sides exchanged views on matters of mutual interest, with special focus on security dynamics in respective regions and professional cooperation. The discussion underlined the importance of continued engagement and collaboration between the Pakistani and Libyan Armed Forces,” the army’s media wing said in a statement.

Later, the Libyan Deputy Commander-in-Chief later met the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu at the Air Headquarters in Islamabad.

“The meeting focused on issues of mutual interest, regional security environment and avenues to strengthen bilateral military cooperation. The air chief highlighted the strong religious and historical ties between Pakistan and Libya, operational readiness, modernization, multi-domain capability development of Pakistan Air Force and emphasis on indigenization, innovation and human resource development,” the ISPR said.

Pakistan and Libya enjoy strong diplomatic and military ties, having reached a multibillion-dollar conventional arms deal last month.

The deal, described as one of the largest arms sales in Pakistan’s history, was closed after an earlier meeting between the CDF Munir and the deputy commander-in-chief in Benghazi.

A copy of the deal seen by Reuters Before its completion included the purchase of 16 JF-17 Thunder fighter aircraft, jointly developed by Pakistan and China, and 12 Super Mushak training aircraft used for basic pilot training.

One Pakistani official confirmed the list was accurate, while another said all the items mentioned were part of the deal, although the exact figures could not be independently verified. officials cited by Reuters He said the agreement covered equipment for land, sea and air forces and would be implemented over a period of approximately two and a half years.

Technically, Libya has remained under a UN arms embargo since February 2011, imposed by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1970 (UNSCR) and then reinforced by subsequent resolutions, including UNSCR 1973. The embargo prohibits all states from supplying, selling or transferring arms and related materiel to Libya.

Despite this legal framework, arms flows into Libya have continued largely unabated over the past decade, fueling proxy conflicts and deepening divisions between rival factions.

Sources had said The express PAkGazette that Pakistani authorities did not expect the UN embargo to pose a practical obstacle to supposed defense cooperation with Libya, arguing that the embargo had long ceased to function as an effective enforcement mechanism.

According to sources, the arms embargo existed more as a formal or “paper” restriction than as a significant barrier on the ground. They pointed to persistent violations by multiple regional and international actors over the years, which had effectively undermined the credibility of the embargo.

Sources noted that Libya’s fragmented government structure and deep political divisions within the UN Security Council had significantly undermined law enforcement.