Militarised diplomacy: What Pakistan’s Libya deal reveals

The article examines Pakistan’s reported $4.6 billion defence deal with Libya’s Libyan National Army as a marker of an increasingly militarised foreign policy. The agreement, involving JF-17 fighter jets, highlights Pakistan’s ambition to emerge as a defence exporter by leveraging Chinese collaboration and recent combat experience. However, the deal bypasses the UN arms embargo on Libya, signalling a risk-tolerant approach that prioritises military-industrial growth over multilateral norms. While it boosts Pakistan’s short-term strategic relevance and regional reach, the move underscores deeper structural issues—economic fragility, political instability, and the military’s entrenched dominance over civilian foreign policymaking.