The Foreign Office of Pakistan has strongly denied a report that claimed the country sold arms and ammunition to Ukraine in order to secure a vital bailout package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The report, published by The Intercept, alleged that the secret arms sales from Pakistan to the US were used to facilitate the IMF bailout.
The Intercept obtained information from two sources with knowledge of the arrangement, as well as internal government documents from Pakistan and the US. The report claimed that these arms sales were made to supply the Ukrainian military, which would mean Pakistani involvement in a conflict it had faced pressure from the US to take sides in.
However, the spokesperson for the Foreign Office, Aisha Baloch, vehemently rejected these claims. She stated that the IMF bailout was a result of negotiations between Pakistan and the IMF to implement necessary economic reforms. Baloch emphasized that any other interpretation of the negotiations was unfounded.
Baloch went on to explain that Pakistan maintains a policy of strict neutrality when it comes to disputes between other countries. As such, Pakistan did not provide arms or ammunition to Ukraine or Russia during their conflict. She added that Pakistan’s defense exports are always subject to strict end-user requirements.
The report also suggested that an arms consignment from Pakistan Ordnance Factories was being shipped to Ukraine and that Pakistan had set up a defense trading firm in Warsaw to streamline the process of arms supplies. However, these claims were strongly denied by Pakistani officials.
Earlier this year, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba visited Pakistan and similarly rejected reports of Pakistani arms supplies to Ukraine. Former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also stated that no agreement had been signed between Pakistan and Ukraine for military supplies since the conflict began.
This is not the first time that reports of Pakistani ammunition supplies to Ukraine have surfaced in the media. However, Pakistani officials have consistently denied any involvement in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The Intercept’s report was based on authenticated documents and sources with knowledge of the arms deals between Pakistan and the US. It claimed that the economic capital and political goodwill gained from these transactions played a significant role in securing the IMF bailout, with the US State Department disclosing the weapons deal to the IMF.
In conclusion, the Foreign Office of Pakistan categorically rejects the report linking arms sales to Ukraine and the IMF bailout. Pakistan maintains a policy of strict neutrality and has not provided any arms or ammunition to either side in the conflict.