Libya–Pakistan relations
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The Libya–Pakistan relations are the international and bilateral relations between
Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
and
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
. The relations remains friendly and bonded throughout its history as both countries shares similar religious identities, cultural links, particularly their
Islamic Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the mai ...
heritage. The bilateral relations were established in the 1950s when
King Idris Muhammad Idris bin Muhammad al-Mahdi as-Senussi ( ar, إدريس, Idrīs; 13 March 1890 – 25 May 1983) was a Libyan political and religious leader who was King of Libya from 24 December 1951 until his overthrow on 1 September 1969. He ruled ov ...
agreed to provide financial aid to the then impoverished Pakistan.


History of foreign relations


Relations during Cold war


1960s–70s: OIC conference in Lahore

After staging a
coup d'état A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, m ...
against King Idris of Libya in 1969,
Muammar Gaddafi Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi, . Due to the lack of standardization of transcribing written and regionally pronounced Arabic, Gaddafi's name has been romanized in various ways. A 1986 column by ''The Straight Dope'' lists 32 spellin ...
grew his relations with the Marxist circle of Pakistan. During the height of the war with
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
in 1971, Libyan leader Gaddafi personally directed a strongly worded letter to Indian Prime Minister
Indira Gandhi Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (; Given name, ''née'' Nehru; 19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984) was an Indian politician and a central figure of the Indian National Congress. She was elected as third prime minister of India in 1966 ...
accusing her of aggression against Pakistan in 1971, which endeared him to all Pakistanis. The foreign relations of Libya and Pakistan began to grow in the 1970s when the Pakistani populace began to notice Gaddafi who paid his first
state visit A state visit is a formal visit by a head of state to a foreign country, at the invitation of the head of state of that foreign country, with the latter also acting as the official host for the duration of the state visit. Speaking for the host ...
to Pakistan to attend the
Organisation of the Islamic Conference An organization or organisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is an entity—such as a company, an institution, or an association—comprising one or more people and having a particular purpose. The word is derived fro ...
(OIC) held in
Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...
, in 1974. In a televised speech given by Gaddafi at the meeting of the
Organisation of the Islamic Conference An organization or organisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is an entity—such as a company, an institution, or an association—comprising one or more people and having a particular purpose. The word is derived fro ...
, he declared his support for Pakistan to pursue development of
nuclear technology Nuclear technology is technology that involves the nuclear reactions of atomic nuclei. Among the notable nuclear technologies are nuclear reactors, nuclear medicine and nuclear weapons. It is also used, among other things, in smoke detectors an ...
, an issue which had been made a hot-topic by the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. When he came to Pakistan to attend the second Islamic Summit Conference in 1974, he stated, "Pakistan is the fort of Islam." On Pakistan's Left-wing sphere specifically the
Pakistan Peoples Party The Pakistan People's Party ( ur, , ; PPP) is a centre-left, social-democratic political party in Pakistan. It is currently the third largest party in the National Assembly and second largest in the Senate of Pakistan. The party was founded ...
(PPP), Gaddafi was respectable and a popular figure who had many inter-personal relations with Pakistan's Marxist circle. According to the American political correspondent, the ''Time'', Gaddafi was one of many financial supporter of Pakistan's clandestine atomic deterrence projects. In his honour, the
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Zulfikar (or Zulfiqar) Ali Bhutto ( ur, , sd, ذوالفقار علي ڀٽو; 5 January 1928 – 4 April 1979), also known as Quaid-e-Awam ("the People's Leader"), was a Pakistani barrister, politician and statesman who served as the fourth ...
had named the Gaddafi cricket stadium in
Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...
, the largest in the country, after him. At many instance of Gaddafi, Bhutto decided to delegate Libya in its efforts to build its nuclear program, roughly based on Pakistan's motivation.Stengel, Richard (Monday, Jun. 03, 1985). "Who has the Bomb?". Time magazine. pp. 7/13. Archived from the original on Jun. 03, 1985. Retrieved February 23, 2011 The general elections held in 1977 saw the overwhelming victory of Left-wing sphere. At an instance of rightist alliance, PNA, a violent
civil disobedience Civil disobedience is the active, professed refusal of a citizen to obey certain laws, demands, orders or commands of a government (or any other authority). By some definitions, civil disobedience has to be nonviolent to be called "civil". Hen ...
movement led the successful imposition of
martial law Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory. Use Marti ...
, under codename: Operation Fair Play, at midnight on 4 July 1977. This
martial law Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory. Use Marti ...
led by Chief of Army Staff General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq immediately removed the
Marxist Marxism is a Left-wing politics, left-wing to Far-left politics, far-left method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a Materialism, materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to understand S ...
influence in the government. Periodically, all ties built with the Gaddafi was limited in 1977; eventually cutting off all ties and military assistance with Libya in 1978.


1980s–90s: Reluctance, rift, and downfall

Before the atomic quest was completed, the Libyan delegation to participate in nuclear projects was sent back to Libya in 1978 and all
military adviser Military advisors, or combat advisors, advise on military matters. Some are soldiers sent to foreign countries to aid such countries with their military training, organization, and other various military tasks. The Foreign powers or organizations ...
s of
Pakistan Armed Forces The Pakistan Armed Forces (; ) are the military forces of Pakistan. It is the world's sixth-largest military measured by active military personnel and consist of three formally uniformed services—the Army, Navy, and the Air Force, which are ...
were immediately called back to Pakistan in 1979. Such initiatives revealed that
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
General
Zia Zia or ZIA (also spelled Ziya, Ḍiya , Dia or Diya) may refer to: People * Zia (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the name ** A romanization of the Wu ( Shanghainese) pronunciation of the Chinese surname Xie (謝) ...
had strongly hated and distrusted Gaddafi, therefore he immediately cut all the military aid to Libya. Gaddafi sent many appeals of clemency to spare
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Zulfikar (or Zulfiqar) Ali Bhutto ( ur, , sd, ذوالفقار علي ڀٽو; 5 January 1928 – 4 April 1979), also known as Quaid-e-Awam ("the People's Leader"), was a Pakistani barrister, politician and statesman who served as the fourth ...
's life and sent his personal plane with dispatching his Prime Minister,
Abdessalam Jalloud Abdessalam Jalloud ( ar, عبد السلام جلود, ‘Abd al-Salmān Julūd) (born 15 December 1944) is the former Prime Minister of Libya. His tenure lasted from 16 July 1972 to 2 March 1977, during the government of Muammar Gaddafi. He was al ...
, to fly Bhutto out from Pakistan. In spite of Gaddafi's initiatives, the
air transport Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' includes fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air craft such as hot air ...
was sent back to
Tripoli Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to: Cities and other geographic units Greece *Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in ...
and after a week, Zulfikar Bhutto was hanged per the orders of the
Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
. After learning the incident, Gaddafi lashed out at President Zia and began hosting as well as providing military training to
far-left Far-left politics, also known as the radical left or the extreme left, are politics further to the left on the left–right political spectrum than the standard political left. The term does not have a single definition. Some scholars consider ...
terrorist organization, the
Al-Zulfiqar Al-Zulfiqar was a Pakistani left-wing Insurgency organization. It was formed in 1979 by Murtaza Bhutto and Shahnawaz Bhutto after their father, then-Prime Minister of Pakistan Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was deposed in a military coup and execute ...
, which was established by Bhutto's children. However, the plan was thwarted by the
ISI ISI or Isi may refer to: Organizations * Intercollegiate Studies Institute, a classical conservative organization focusing on college students * Ice Skating Institute, a trade association for ice rinks * Indian Standards Institute, former name of ...
in 1980 when it had discovered and placed a mole in the Libyan embassy. In retaliation, Gaddafi signed a secret decree which called for the expulsion of all the 150,000 Pakistanis residing in Libya. The
children A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger ...
and wife of Bhutto were given asylum by Gaddafi in the 1980s, despite the agitation of President
Zia Zia or ZIA (also spelled Ziya, Ḍiya , Dia or Diya) may refer to: People * Zia (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the name ** A romanization of the Wu ( Shanghainese) pronunciation of the Chinese surname Xie (謝) ...
. During this time, Libya suspected attempted to make a deal to share knowledge of nuclear projects with senior scientists working in atomic deterrence projects; all efforts were thwarted by ISI. In 1983–85, Libya restored its ties with India and acceded with a nuclear treaty with India as opposed to Pakistan.


Relations after Cold war


1990s–2000s: Normalizing relations

After
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Zia Zia or ZIA (also spelled Ziya, Ḍiya , Dia or Diya) may refer to: People * Zia (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the name ** A romanization of the Wu ( Shanghainese) pronunciation of the Chinese surname Xie (謝) ...
's death and state funeral, the foreign relations began to normalized. The general elections held in 1988 resulted in
left-wing Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soci ...
coming to power and appointing
Benazir Bhutto Benazir Bhutto ( ur, بینظیر بُھٹو; sd, بينظير ڀُٽو; Urdu ; 21 June 1953 – 27 December 2007) was a Pakistani politician who served as the 11th and 13th prime minister of Pakistan from 1988 to 1990 and again from 1993 t ...
as Pakistan's first female
Prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
. The ties continued until Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was removed from power after amid corruption charges by
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Ghulam Ishaq, in 1990. In 1990, the new general elections oversaw the conservatives coming to power under
Navaz Sharif Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif (Urdu, Punjabi: ; born 25 December 1949) is a Pakistani businessman and politician who has served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan for three non-consecutive terms. He is the longest-serving prime minister of Pak ...
, for the first time in the
history History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...
through a democratic transition. Immediately after being sworn in as the
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
,
Nawaz Sharif Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif (Urdu, Punjabi language, Punjabi: ; born 25 December 1949) is a Pakistani businessman and politician who has served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan for three non-consecutive terms. He is the longest-serving prime ...
soon paid a
state visit A state visit is a formal visit by a head of state to a foreign country, at the invitation of the head of state of that foreign country, with the latter also acting as the official host for the duration of the state visit. Speaking for the host ...
to Libya. In 1991, Sharif visit and met with Gaddafi. During the meeting, Gaddafi demanded Sharif to sell him a nuclear bomb as Gaddafi suspected that Pakistan had developed years later. Whilst, Prime Minister Sharif reputedly denying his request and urging Gaddafi to continue the economical relations with Pakistan. Gaddafi insulted the Sharif and labeled him as a "corrupt politician", which dismayed the Pakistan delegation. The Prime minister's delegation members and journalists were initially shocked and troubled with Gaddafi's attitude. Therefore, Sharif cancelled the talks and immediately returning to Pakistan and soon expelled Libyan Ambassador. The ties were again restored in 1993 following the resignation of conservative
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
Nawaz Sharif Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif (Urdu, Punjabi language, Punjabi: ; born 25 December 1949) is a Pakistani businessman and politician who has served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan for three non-consecutive terms. He is the longest-serving prime ...
and
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Ghulam Ishaq. The new general elections in 1993 revived the comeback of PPP under
Benazir Bhutto Benazir Bhutto ( ur, بینظیر بُھٹو; sd, بينظير ڀُٽو; Urdu ; 21 June 1953 – 27 December 2007) was a Pakistani politician who served as the 11th and 13th prime minister of Pakistan from 1988 to 1990 and again from 1993 t ...
who was immediately sworn in as
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
. In 1994–95, there were reports indicated that the nuclear information was given to Gaddafi to provide aid in Libyan nuclear program. In 2001, Pakistan via ISI, passed intelligence about Gulf States and the nuclear ambitions of Iran and Libya, whose programs Pakistani scientists had helped to build.Journalist and author George Crile's book, '' Charlie Wilson's War: The Extraordinary Story of the Largest Covert Operation in History'' (Grove Press, New York, 2003) Pakistan began providing details of
Libyan nuclear programme Libya pursued programs to develop or acquire weapons of mass destruction from when Muammar Gaddafi seized control of Libya in 1969 until he announced on 19 December 2003 that Libya would voluntarily eliminate all materials, equipment and progra ...
to Israel's
Mossad Mossad ( , ), ; ar, الموساد, al-Mōsād, ; , short for ( he, המוסד למודיעין ולתפקידים מיוחדים, links=no), meaning 'Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations'. is the national intelligence agency ...
. These evidence were made public by the United States but concealed the names of sources. In 2003, Gaddafi announced his intention to rolling back the nuclear program and ultimately handed over the information given by the various sources to
IAEA The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an intergovernmental organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. It was established in 1957 ...
. This turned out to be a "political nightmare" for Pakistan when Gaddafi turned over the centrifuge designs to the IAEA in return for legitimacy causing Pakistan international isolation.
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Pervez Musharraf General Pervez Musharraf ( ur, , Parvez Muśharraf; born 11 August 1943) is a former Pakistani politician and four-star general of the Pakistan Army who became the tenth president of Pakistan after the successful military takeover of the ...
and
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
Shaukat Aziz Shaukat Aziz ( ur, ; born 6 March 1949) is a Pakistani former banker and financier who served as 17th prime minister of Pakistan from 28 August 2004 to 15 November 2007, as well as the finance minister of Pakistan from 6 November 1999 to 15 ...
's foreign expertise later helped Pakistan out of international isolation in 2004 due to the quick economic boom. The PPP made its notable comeback during the general elections held in 2008. The PPP restarted its relations with Gaddafi, which paved way for
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Asif Ali Zardari's
state visit A state visit is a formal visit by a head of state to a foreign country, at the invitation of the head of state of that foreign country, with the latter also acting as the official host for the duration of the state visit. Speaking for the host ...
to Libya in 2009. During his visit, President Zardari termed Libya as his "second home".


2010s–Present: Libyan Civil War

After the start of the
civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
in Libya, Pakistan immediately adopted the policy of "
non-belligerent A non-belligerent is a person, a state, or other organization that does not fight in a given conflict. The term is often used to describe a country that does not take part militarily in a war. A non-belligerent state differs from a neutral one in ...
" in 2011. In February 2011, following the protests in other Arab countries, widespread riots broke out against Gaddafi's 42-year rule resulting in loss of government control over most of eastern Libya. In a press conference on 3 March 2011, the Foreign ministry of Pakistan spokesperson stated: "As far as the internal political situation of Libya is concerned, the Government of Pakistan would not like to offer any comment at this point in time". She stated that the current focus of the Pakistani government is on the safe repatriation of Pakistanis in Libya. Defending his crackdown against the revolt during a lengthy speech, Gaddafi passed controversial remarks about the current situation of Pakistan. He also compared his crackdown to India's counterinsurgency in
Indian-held Kashmir Kashmir () is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Today, the term encompass ...
. Pakistan's Media did not welcome Gaddafi's speech, and Pakistan's Television channels heavily criticized Gaddafi's remarks, and accused Gaddafi of interfering in Pakistan's matters. During the civil war in Libya, the
Pakistan Government The Government of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=hakúmat-e pákistán) abbreviated as GoP, is a federal government established by the Constitution of Pakistan as a constituted governing authority of the four provinces, two autonomous territories ...
initiated a cross-border operations, involving the
Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...
and the PAF to assure the safety of and safe evacuation of Pakistani community in Libya. During the same time, the Arab media circulated news reports alleging involvement of Pakistan military in the events of civil war in Libya, the
Foreign Office Foreign may refer to: Government * Foreign policy, how a country interacts with other countries * Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in many countries ** Foreign Office, a department of the UK government ** Foreign office and foreign minister * Unit ...
emphatically stated that these were mischievous and totally baseless. There are no presence of any Pakistan military contingent forces in Libya. During the Abu Salim prison massacre remembrance, the Pakistan Embassy in Tripoli was attacked and bombed by the unknown Libyan
terror group A number of national governments and two international organizations have created lists of organizations that they designate as terrorist. The following list of designated terrorist groups lists groups designated as terrorist by current and fo ...
. No group claimed the responsibility of the act.


Economic and trade relations

Pakistan received economic assistance from Libya in the 1970s, aiding in the country's recovery after the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. More recently, Libya has provided assistance to Pakistan to fight against floods, infections, disease, and other natural calamities in Pakistan. In 1976, The Libyan Central Bank provided a loan of US$50 million to the Habib Bank of Pakistan as a form of aid. In the same year, an economic and cultural agreement was also signed, in which a combined shipping company was established. There are around 30,000 Pakistanis who are residents of Libya. In 2009, the Pakistani government pledged to send 50,000 skilled workers to Libya by the end of the year under a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two countries during a visit of the
President of Pakistan The president of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=s̤adr-i Pākiṣṭān), officially the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is the ceremonial head of state of Pakistan and the commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Armed Forces.Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
.\05\28\story_28-5-2009_pg5_9


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Libya-Pakistan relations
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
Africa–Pakistan relations