Khalifa Haftar makes landmark visit to Pakistan for security cooperation
Libyan Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar made a rare visit to Pakistan on Monday to discuss security cooperation, signalling a potential deepening of ties between Haftar’s eastern-based government and Islamabad.
The visit comes on the heels of a report by Reuters that Khalifa’s eastern-based government had sealed a $4bn arms deal with Pakistan - the country’s largest - following a trip in December to Benghazi by Pakistan's army chief and Field Marshal Asim Munir.
Khalifa met Munir at the Pakistan Army’s General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi.
“During the meeting, both sides exchanged views on matters of mutual interest, with particular focus on security dynamics in respective regions and professional cooperation,” ISPR, Pakistan’s military news agency, said in a statement.
Khalifa was accompanied on the visit by his son, Saddam, who is widely seen as the top contender to succeed his 82-year-old father, in addition to Osama Saad Hamad, the prime minister of the eastern Libyan government.
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On Tuesday, the Haftar father-and-son pair met Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad.
“Both sides exchanged views on matters of mutual interest and underscored the importance of strengthening bilateral relations,” according to a statement by the Pakistani government. “The meeting reflected the shared desire to enhance cooperation in areas of common concern and to promote peace, stability, and development at regional and international levels”.
Khalifa travels regularly to Egypt, and he visited Russia in May 2025. But his trip to Pakistan is notable, as it marks a rare visit to South Asia.
Libya is divided into two, with an internationally recognised government in Tripoli headed by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh and a government in the East run by Khalifa.
Dbeibah became prime minister in 2021 with a mandate to usher in democratic elections in Libya, but the process has stalled, with his government forging ties with militias and competing with Khalifa for access to oil revenue.
Pakistan’s potential arms deal with Khalifa has come under scrutiny amid a broader reshuffling of regional alliances. Khalifa is close to the UAE and has provided fuel and weapons to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which are backed by Abu Dhabi.
Saudi Arabia and Egypt have both provided support to Khalifa, but their ties with his government have been strained over his support for the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan. Both Riyadh and Cairo back the Sudanese Armed Forces.
Pakistan has good relations with both the UAE and Saudi Arabia, but has moved closer to Riyadh. Last year, it sealed a mutual defence pact with Saudi Arabia.
Turkey has close military and defence ties to Islamabad, and has eyed deepening security cooperation with it and Riyadh.
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