Pakistan can sell weapons in the Middle East, but can it sell security?

"From February 2 to 4, Libya's eastern commander, renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar, visited Rawalpindi for talks at Pakistan's army headquarters with the army chief, Asim Munir. The visit might have seemed routine, but it highlights Pakistan's expanding defence diplomacy in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Pakistan reportedly signed a $4bn defence deal with Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA), including 16 JF-17 fighters and 12 Super Mushak trainer aircraft, structured over roughly two and a half years."

"The acquisition of this 4.5-generation fighter grants the LNA a game-changing airpower advantage, potentially upending the military balance with its Tripoli-based rivals unless the latter secures a comparable capability in time. Pakistan is also reportedly in the final stages of a $1.5bn package to supply the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) with 10 Karakoram-8 light attack aircraft, more than 200 drones and air defence systems to bolster its capabilities in the ongoing war against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF)."

"In purely national-interest terms, Pakistan's growing defence profile in MENA is not a problem automatically. A larger footprint can generate foreign exchange, expand diplomatic access, and increase Pakistan's visibility in a region where security partnerships are being diversified. It can also strengthen longstanding military-to-military links in the Gulf and beyond. Yet the same burst of activity raises a quieter question: is Pakistan's foray into MENA largely transactional focused on exporting weaponry or part of a coherent strategy to provide security?"

Pakistan has increased defence diplomacy and arms exports across the Middle East and North Africa, signing deals such as a reported $4bn package to supply Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army with 16 JF-17 fighters and 12 Super Mushak trainers, and a near-final $1.5bn package for the Sudanese Armed Forces including Karakoram-8 light attack aircraft, drones and air-defence systems. These sales can generate foreign exchange, expand diplomatic access, and strengthen military ties. Rising militancy, domestic instability and economic constraints however limit Pakistan's ability to sustain a coherent regional security-provider role and may make its engagement largely transactional.

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