Libya’s Haftar, Pakistan's army chief discuss cooperation

ISTANBUL

Eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar discussed on Monday cooperation with Pakistan's Chief of Defense Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir.

Haftar called on army chief Munir in Rawalpindi, Pakistan military's media wing said in a statement, adding that they "exchanged views on matters of mutual interest, with particular focus on security dynamics in respective regions and professional cooperation."

The meeting underscored "the importance of continued engagement and collaboration" between the two sides.

Haftar was accompanied by his son Lt. Gen. Saddam Khalid Haftar.

Munir reaffirmed Pakistan’s "commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with Libya," and emphasized Islamabad’s support for "peace, stability, and institutional development" in the North African country.

Munir visited Benghazi in December, and discussed enhancing defense ties, including collaboration in training, capacity building, and counterterrorism domains.

The visit came “within the framework of strengthening bilateral relations and opening broader horizons for coordination in areas of mutual interest in a manner that serves the interests of both countries," a statement by Libya’s eastern forces said.

For his part, Khalifa Haftar expressed his “pleasure at the warm reception and welcome, which reflects the depth of relations between the two leaderships and the two brotherly peoples,” according to the statement.

In Dec. 2025, Pakistan’s army chief visited Benghazi, where he concluded an arms deal worth more than $4 billion with Saddam Haftar, the deputy commander of Libya’s eastern forces, according to reports by international media at the time.

Libya remains divided between two rival administrations: one led by Dbeibeh in Tripoli, which controls the west of the country, and another appointed by the House of Representatives (parliament) in early 2022, led by Osama Hammad and based in Benghazi, which governs the east and much of the south.