The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Urdu has reported possessing documents that allegedly reveal Pakistan’s arms sales to Ukraine despite Islamabad’s consistent denial of such activities.
The report highlights an incident from August 12, 2022, when former army chief Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa attended the passing-out parade at the British Royal Military Academy. Simultaneously, a British military cargo plane reportedly landed multiple times at the Pakistan Air Force Base Nur Khan in Rawalpindi, raising questions about the nature of these visits.
The BBC report details the movement of the British military cargo plane, which travelled from Nur Khan Airbase to a British military base in Cyprus and then to Romania during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Given Pakistan’s official stance of neutrality in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Romania’s proximity to Ukraine is noted. The Foreign Office of Pakistan has denied the presence of Pakistani weapons in Ukraine, maintaining a neutral position in the conflict.
Investigation into Arms Sales Contracts
The BBC’s investigation reveals that in August 2022, Pakistan reportedly engaged in arms sales contracts worth $364 million with two private US military companies. These contracts involved the sale of 155mm shells to ‘Global Military’ and ‘Northrop Grumman’.
Details from the Federal Procurement Data System of the United States suggest that these weapons were bought from Pakistan, with both agreements signed on August 17, 2022, and set to expire in October of the same year.
The contracts were specifically for 155mm shells, with Global Military receiving a $232 million contract and Northrop Grumman $131 million. This revelation, if accurate, raises significant questions about Pakistan’s role and position in the ongoing international conflict.
