It has been 14 years since the death of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. With the death of his son, the chapter of Gaddafi family closed, but the fight in Libya is still not over. Now Pakistan is going to enter this war.
According to news agency Reuters, Pakistan is in talks to open its Consulate in Libya's eastern city of Benghazi. This is the same Benghazi, from where the rebellion against Gaddafi started and today it is the stronghold of Khalifa Haftar, the leader of Libya's most powerful army.
Libya never became stable after the removal of Gaddafi in 2011. Western Libya, whose capital is Tripoli, has a United Nations-backed government. Eastern Libya, whose capital is Benghazi, is under the control of Khalifa Haftar and his Libyan National Army (LNA). Both want to oust each other from power. This is why every diplomatic step here matters a lot.
If Pakistan opens a consulate in Benghazi, it will be considered directly in favor of Haftar. Till now very few countries have official presence there. Pakistan's departure may increase Haftar's power and international identity, while the Tripoli government may consider it a step against itself.
Khalifa Haftar is on a tour of Pakistan these days. He met Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir. There was also a conversation with Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif. His son Saddam Haftar discussed defense cooperation with Pakistani Air Force Chief. It was during these meetings that the issue of opening a Consulate in Benghazi was raised.
According to sources, a defense deal worth about $4 billion has been signed between Pakistan and Haftar's army. This is said to be one of the biggest arms deals in the history of Pakistan. Although Libya has been under a UN arms embargo since 2011, Pakistan claims that this deal is not against the rules.
During the Gaddafi era, Libya was a powerful but strictly ruled country. Today, Khalifa Haftar is trying to show himself as the kind of strong leader who can bring stability in the country, even if it means using force. This is why some countries, especially powerful players in the Middle East, have been supporting Haftar.
