02 February 2026 saw a high-level Libyan delegation led by Lieutenant General Saddam Khalifa Haftar call on Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, Chief of the Air Staff, at Air Headquarters in Islamabad. The meeting focused on strengthening defence ties and addressing the evolving regional security landscape.
The discussions covered a wide range of mutual interests including regional security challenges, pathways to enhanced bilateral military cooperation and the Pakistan Air Force’s current state of operational readiness. The Air Chief highlighted PAF’s ongoing modernization and multi-domain capability development while stressing the importance of indigenization, technological innovation and human resource development.
The visiting Libyan delegation was briefed on PAF initiatives to build a self-reliant aerospace ecosystem, notably the National Aerospace Science & Technology Park, which is being positioned as a hub for innovation, public–private collaboration and aerospace indigenization. The Air Chief reaffirmed Pakistan Air Force’s commitment to share professional expertise and operational experience with friendly air forces to support capability development.
Lieutenant General Haftar expressed appreciation for the warm reception and praised the professionalism of PAF personnel. He showed keen interest in leveraging the operational experience of PAF air and ground crews and underlined Libya’s desire to expand defence cooperation through enhanced joint training, military exercises and professional exchange programmes.
The visit by the Libyan delegation to Air Headquarters is being viewed as a constructive step toward deepening defence cooperation and reinforcing mutual trust between the two countries, with Islamabad positioned to play a supportive role in Libya’s air force capacity development.
