ISLAMABAD: US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, visited Islamabad on Monday, the Pakistani foreign office said, as the Afghan Taliban and Kabul government issued a joint statement after the conclusion of two-day talks in Doha.
A delegation of Afghan leaders met the Taliban’s political leadership in the Qatari capital over the weekend but the Taliban, in a statement late on Sunday, made no mention of a halt to Afghanistan’s escalating violence.
Over recent Eid holidays, the Taliban have called short cease-fires, saying they wanted to let Afghans spend them in peace.
This time there has been no such announcement as the Taliban make swift territorial gains in near-unprecedented levels of fighting nationwide as US-led foreign forces complete their withdrawal after 20 years of fighting.
“In meetings with Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Ambassador Khalilzad emphasized the urgency of a comprehensive political settlement between the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban, one that leads to a sustainable peace and preserves Afghanistan’s security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity,” the Pakistani foreign office said.
It added:
“Continued war in Afghanistan poses a risk to the entire region and holds back its development. Peace, by contrast, will enable regional connectivity and increased trade and development. We commit to do our part to make this vision a reality. Tangible and material support for the Afghanistan peace process is vital for its ultimate success, as are positive long-term relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan.”
Khalilzad met the PM Khan in Islamabad who said “the escalation of conflict and instability in Afghanistan was not in Pakistan’s interest as it would lead to serious challenges for Pakistan in areas of security and influx of refugees.”
“A secure and safe Western border was in Pakistan’s own best interest and Pakistan would like to remain closely engaged with the US and other relevant countries for peace efforts,” the PM was quoted by the foreign office as saying. “He emphasized the need for all Afghan sides to show flexibility and engage meaningfully with each other.”
Khan added that as suggested by him at last week’s Central Asia and South Asia Connectivity Conference in Tashkent, it was important for Afghanistan’s neighbors and regional countries to constructively work together for a lasting political settlement in Afghanistan.
Pakistan also said on Monday there was no military solution to the Afghan conflict and a negotiated political settlement through an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led process was the only way forward.
“Pakistan hopes that the Afghan sides would continue their engagement in future in a meaningful manner. This will help in reduction of violence, weaken the hands of spoilers and pave the way for establishment of lasting peace in Afghanistan,” the foreign office said in a separate statement.
US special envoy in Islamabad as Taliban, Kabul conclude two-day talks in Doha
https://arab.news/6gw9y
US special envoy in Islamabad as Taliban, Kabul conclude two-day talks in Doha
- A delegation of Afghan leaders met the Taliban’s political leadership in the Qatari capital over the weekend
- Zalmay Khalilzad meets Pakistani PM Imran Khan and Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa
Pakistan strikes $4 billion deal to sell weapons to Libyan force, officials say
- Pakistan’s defense industry spans aircraft, vehicles, and naval construction
- The deal, spread over two-and-a-half years, includes JF-17 jets, officials say
KARACHI: Pakistan has reached a deal worth over $4 billion to sell military equipment to the Libyan National Army, four Pakistani officials said, despite a UN arms embargo on the fractured North African country.
The deal, one of Pakistan’s largest-ever weapons sales, was finalized after a meeting last week between Pakistan military chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Saddam Khalifa Haftar, deputy commander-in-chief of the LNA, in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi, said the four officials.
The officials, all involved in defense matters, declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the deal.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry, defense ministry and military did not respond to requests for comment.
Any arms agreement with the LNA is likely to face scrutiny given Libya’s long-running instability following a 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled Muammar Qaddafi and split the country between rival authorities.
A copy of the deal before it was finalized that was seen by Reuters listed the purchase of 16 JF-17 fighter jets, a multi-role combat aircraft that has been jointly developed by Pakistan and China, and 12 Super Mushak trainer aircraft, used for basic pilot training.
One of the Pakistani officials confirmed the list was accurate while a second official said the arms on the list were all part of the deal but could not provide exact numbers.
One of the Pakistani officials said the deal included the sale of equipment for land, sea and air, spread over 2-1/2 years, adding it could also include the JF-17 fighter jets. Two of the officials said the deal was valued at more than $4 billion, while the other two said it amounted to $4.6 billion.
The LNA’s official media channel reported on Sunday that the faction had entered a defense cooperation pact with Pakistan, which included weapons sales, joint training and military manufacturing, without providing details.
“We announce the launch of a new phase of strategic military cooperation with Pakistan,” Haftar said in remarks broadcast on Sunday by Al-Hadath television.
Authorities in Benghazi also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The UN-recognized Government of National Unity, led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, controls much of western Libya, while Haftar’s LNA controls the east and south, including major oilfields, and does not recognize the western government’s authority.
ARMS EMBARGO
Libya has been subject to a UN arms embargo since 2011, requiring approval from the UN for transfers of weapons and related material.
A panel of experts said in a December 2024 report to the UN that the arms embargo on Libya remained “ineffective.” The panel said some foreign states had become increasingly open about providing military training and assistance to forces in both eastern and western Libya despite the restrictions.
It was not immediately clear whether Pakistan or Libya had applied for any exemptions to the UN embargo.
Three of the Pakistani officials said the deal had not broken any UN weapons embargo.
One of the officials said Pakistan is not the only one to make deals with Libya; another said there are no sanctions on Haftar; and a third said Benghazi authorities are witnessing better relations with Western governments, given rising fuel exports.
PAKISTAN EYEING MARKETS
Pakistan has been seeking to expand defense exports, drawing on decades of counterinsurgency experience and a domestic defense industry that spans aircraft production and overhaul, armored vehicles, munitions and naval construction.
Islamabad has cited its Air Force’s performance in clashes with India in May.
“Our recent war with India demonstrated our advanced capabilities to the world,” military chief Munir said in remarks broadcast by Al-Hadath on Sunday.
Pakistan markets the Chinese co-developed JF-17 as a lower-cost multi-role fighter and has positioned itself as a supplier able to offer aircraft, training and maintenance outside Western supply chains.
Pakistan has also been deepening security ties with Gulf partners, signing a Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement with Saudi Arabia in September 2025 and holding senior-level defense talks with Qatar.
The Libya deal would expand Pakistan’s footprint in North Africa as regional and international powers compete for influence over Libya’s fragmented security institutions and oil-backed economy.
