Paksitan
Cash-strapped Pakistan sold arms to Ukraine: Reports
Pakistan, a nation experiencing a financial crisis, entered into a $364 million arms sales agreement with two private US companies last year, media reports said.
The country allegedly sold the weapons to Ukraine for the ongoing war against Russia,Dawn News reported quoting BBC Urdu.
However, the Pakistani government has denied the charges.
The Foreign Office has denied any sale of arms and ammunition to Ukraine, saying that Pakistan maintained a policy of “strict neutrality” in the dispute between the two countries and did not provide them with any arms or ammunition in that context, reported Dawn News quoting the British media.
It must be noted that these alleged developments took place during the rule of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) — a multi-party coalition that ousted Imran Khan-led government via a no-trust vote in April last year.
General Qamar Javed Bajwa, who retired in November 2022, was the Army Chief at that time.
During August 2022, when these alleged contracts were signed, the Ukraine crisis was very much a part of the political discourse in Pakistan, particularly in the wake of Imran Khan’s visit to Moscow as prime minister the day the invasion was launched. Months after the visit, Gen Bajwa publicly called for the invasion to be stopped immediately, reported Dawn News.
During a visit to Pakistan this July, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba had also rejected reports that Pakistan was supplying arms to Ukraine to support its military during the ongoing conflict with Russia.
However, the BBC Urdu, in its report, claimed that Pakistan signed two contracts with American companies named “Global Military” and “Northrop Grumman” for the sale of 155mm shells, the Pakistani newspaper reported.
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