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Libyan Prime Minister Dr. Osama Saad Hamad visits Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad on February 3, 2026. Photo: PTV/X
ISLAMABAD:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to fostering friendly relations with Libya and emphasized the importance of continued engagement and dialogue.
A high-level Libyan delegation visited him in the Prime Minister’s Chamber. The delegation included Dr. Osama Saad Hamad, Prime Minister of the Government of Libya, Field Marshal Khalifa Abu-al-Qasim Haftar, Commander-in-Chief of the Libyan Arab Armed Forces and Lieutenant General Saddam Khalifa Haftar, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Libyan Arab Armed Forces.
Deputy Prime Minister and External Affairs Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, NI (M), HJ, COAS and CDF, were also present during the meeting, the media wing of the prime minister’s office said in a press release.
During the talks, both sides exchanged views on 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.
Libyan leaders appreciated Pakistan’s role and expressed interest in expanding collaboration between the two countries.
The meeting concluded with an understanding to maintain close contact and explore avenues for future cooperation.
Embassy
Pakistan is in talks to open a consulate in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi, three sources with knowledge of the matter said, a move that could give a diplomatic boost to eastern authorities in their rivalry with western Libya.
Libya was plunged into turmoil after a NATO-backed uprising in 2011 toppled Muammar Gaddafi and has been divided between eastern and western authorities since a civil war in 2014.
The U.N.-recognized government in Tripoli controls the west, while Libyan National Army leader Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar’s forces based in Benghazi control the east and south, including major oil fields.
Islamabad would join a small group of countries with a diplomatic presence in Benghazi. Haftar discussed the move with officials during an ongoing visit to Pakistan, the sources said.
Pakistan’s prime minister’s office and the foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment.
The LNA’s official media page said Haftar and his son Saddam met with senior Pakistani army officers “within the framework of strengthening bilateral relations and opening broader horizons for coordination in areas of common interest.”
He gave no further details and Reuters could not immediately contact authorities in eastern Libya for comment.
Pakistan’s air force said in a statement that Saddam Khalifa Haftar met Air Chief Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu to discuss expanding defense cooperation, including joint training, and Islamabad reaffirmed its support for the “capacity development” of the Libyan air force.
Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir visited Benghazi in December, where he signed a multi-billion-dollar defense deal with the LNA, as Reuters previously reported.
The three sources said the decision to open a consulate in Benghazi was linked to the $4 billion defense deal.
(With additional input from Reuters)
