Did Pakistan sell weapons to Ukraine amid economic crisis? What report claims

Pakistan reportedly earned USD 364 million in an arms deal with two private US companies last year to supply ammunition to Ukraine amid Russia war as per a report. The arms were supplied using a British military cargo plane from Pakistan Air Force Base Nur Khan in Rawalpindi to the British military base in Cyprus, Akrotiri. They were then taken to Romania a total of five times to supply arms to Ukraine, the BBC Urdu reported. Islamabad has, however, denied that it has provided any ammunition to Ukraine.

The report cited details of the contract from the American Federal Procurement Data System as per which Pakistan signed two contracts with American companies named “Global Military” and “Northrop Grumman” for the sale of 155mm shells. These agreements to provide weapons to Ukraine were signed on August 17, 2022 and were linked to the purchase of 155mm shells.

These agreements took place during the rule of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), the report added. Then Pakistan army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa had pledged to take Pakistan-UK relations to a "new height".

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The report claimed that a USD 232 million contract was awarded to Global Military while another USD 131 million contract was signed with Northrop Grumman.

"These agreements expired last month i.e. October 2023. Each time, the plane flew from Nur Khan Airbase to the British military base in Cyprus and then to Romania, that too at a time when Russia was waging war in Romania’s neighbouring country Ukraine,” the report claimed.

"Pakistan exported arms worth USD 13 million in 2021-22, while these exports reached USD 415 million in 2022-23,” it added.

Islamabad said that Pakistan has maintained a policy of “strict neutrality” amid the war and did not provide Ukraine with any arms or ammunition in that context.

During a visit to Pakistan this July, Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba also rejected reports that Pakistan was supplying arms to Ukraine to support its military.

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