ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Libya have agreed to pursue defense industrial collaboration and exchange technical expertise to tackle security challenges, according to an official statement issued on Friday after a meeting between the top army commanders of the two countries.
The meeting took place in Rawalpindi between Libyan Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Lt Gen Saddam Khalifa Haftar and Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, according to the military media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
Defense ties between the two countries date back to the Cold War era, when Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi famously called Pakistan “the fort of Islam” at the 1974 Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in Lahore and later supported its arms procurement efforts.
In the post-Qaddafi period, the two nations signed a series of memoranda of understanding focused on labor, education and political consultations, laying the groundwork for broader cooperation.
“Meeting encompassed discussion on matters of mutual interest, evolving regional dynamics, security challenges and matters pertaining to defense cooperation,” the ISPR said in a statement after the meeting.
“Both leaders agreed to undertake defense industrial collaboration and exchange of technical expertise to address contemporary security challenges.”
Haftar was presented a guard of honor by a Pakistan Army contingent upon his arrival at the General Headquarters, where he laid a floral wreath at the Martyrs’ Corner.
The ISPR statement maintained the visit by Libya’s top military leadership marks a significant step in reinforcing the longstanding defense partnership between both countries.
Pakistan and Libya established diplomatic relations in 1951 and have maintained friendly ties rooted in shared Islamic heritage and cultural bonds.
Bilateral trade reached approximately $19 million in 2022–23, while defense ties remain robust, with Pakistan having trained Libyan officers in aviation, infantry and technical fields in the past.
