Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir met with the Libyan Armed Forces Commanding Chief Field Marshal Khalifa Belqasim Haftar in an attempt to strengthen the defence ties between the two countries, says the military’s media wing of Pakistan Army on Thursday.
The military leaders in a bilateral meeting discussed enhancing relations and defense cooperation. Munir met with the military commander who had a military force in Libya’s east that rivals with the Tripoli-based government and his deputy and son Saddam Khalifa Haftar. The army’s media wing said.
“On arrival, the field marshal was accorded a guard of honour by a smartly turned-out contingent of the Libyan armed forces,” the ISPR said.
In a meeting with the Libyan Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening defense ties with Libya based on shared interests.
“Both sides underscored the importance of collaboration in training, capacity building, and counter-terrorism domains,” it said.
“Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar appreciated the professionalism of the Pakistan armed forces and expressed his desire to further expand defence cooperation between the two countries,” the ISPR added.
He added that the two discussed matters of mutual interest, regional security, dynamics, and avenues for enhancing bilateral defense and military-to-military cooperation. Pakistan has maintained decades-long relationships with Libya though these relations have been complicated by the country’s split into two rival administrations.
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The statement further added that the Libyan military officials appreciated the professionalism of the Pakistan Armed Forces and expressed a keen desire to expand the defence cooperation with them.
Pakistan and Libya had established their diplomatic relations in 1951, with the relations peaking during the era of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi when Tripoli positioned itself as a supporter of Muslim causes and developing countries, including Pakistan. Relations, however, have been more restrained between the two countries since Libya’s political upheaval in 2011.