Pakistan sold arms worth $364 million to Ukraine: Report
Pakistan secured at least $364 million from arms deals with two private United States (US) companies last year, providing ammunition to Ukraine in its war with Russia, BBC Urdu has reported. It stated that a British military cargo aircraft made five trips from Pakistan Air Force Base Nur Khan in Rawalpindi to the British base in Cyprus, Akrotiri, and then to Romania, delivering arms to neighboring Ukraine. However, Islamabad denied supplying any ammunition to Ukraine amid the financial crisis.
Why does this story matter?
This development comes as Pakistan is grappling with a deep financial crisis amid inflation and a shortage of foreign reserves. It also maintained a policy of "strict neutrality" in the dispute between Russia and Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered Ukraine's invasion on February 24, 2022, triggering the Russia-Ukraine crisis. Notably, the arms deals reportedly took place during the rule of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)—a coalition that ousted then-Prime Minister Imran Khan's government in 2022.
Know about arms deals with US companies
BBC Urdu also referred to purported contract information from the US Federal Procurement Data System, claiming Pakistan signed one deal each with American companies Global Military and Northrop Grumman. These agreements were reportedly inked on August 17, 2022, and were specifically tied to the sale of 155mm shells. On the other hand, Islamabad's Foreign Office denied selling any arms and ammunition to Ukraine, asserting a stance of "strict neutrality" in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
Pakistan's arms exports increase amid controversy
Furthermore, the report disclosed that data from Pakistan's State Bank demonstrated a 3,000% increase in the country's arms exports during the fiscal year 2022-23. "Pakistan exported arms worth $13 million in 2021-22, while these exports reached $415 million in 2022-23," the BBC Urdu report noted. In September, reports implied that secret Pakistani arms sales to the US for Ukraine's use aided Islamabad in securing a vital International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout earlier this year.
Pakistan denies involvement in arms sales to Ukraine
The spokesperson for Pakistan's Foreign Office, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, dismissed the report as "baseless and fabricated." She denied that the financially struggling nation supplied arms to the US in exchange for support in finalizing a $3 billion deal with the IMF in late June to avert default. During a trip to Pakistan in July, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba also refuted claims that Pakistan was providing arms to Ukraine to bolster its military amid the ongoing conflict with Russia.
