Pakistan Emerges as Key Mediator in Libya Unity Talks After US-Iran Diplomatic Breakthrough
Exclusive Report Says Islamabad Is Facilitating Power-Sharing Negotiations Between Libya’s Rival Governments with US and Regional Backing
Pakistan has quietly stepped into one of the Middle East and North Africa’s most complex diplomatic crises, launching mediation efforts aimed at reuniting Libya’s rival eastern and western administrations. According to Pakistani sources familiar with the talks, Islamabad has been working behind the scenes since late last year to facilitate negotiations that could eventually produce a unified transitional government after years of political division and instability.
The reported initiative comes after Pakistan’s widely acknowledged role in helping facilitate dialogue between the United States and Iran earlier this year, significantly raising Islamabad’s international diplomatic profile. Pakistani officials involved in the Libya initiative say Washington has been fully informed of the mediation effort, while Saudi Arabia is also supporting the process. Regional stakeholders including Qatar and Turkey are reportedly encouraging Pakistan’s involvement as well.
At the center of the negotiations is a proposed Libya Reunification Plan, which outlines a 36-month transitional political arrangement under a newly created Government of National Consensus and Presidential Council. The draft framework would retain western-based Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah in government while giving eastern military leader Saddam Haftar a leading position as Chairman of the Presidential Council, seeking to balance power between Libya’s competing factions.
The proposal also attempts to resolve one of Libya’s most contentious issues—control over oil revenues and national finances. Under the reported framework, the eastern faction led by Khalifa Haftar, which controls much of Libya’s oil-producing regions and strategic infrastructure, would receive substantial authority over budget management. Analysts believe resolving disputes over oil income remains essential to any lasting political settlement.
Pakistan’s role extends beyond facilitating dialogue. Sources indicate Islamabad could help oversee implementation of any eventual agreement, ensuring that both sides adhere to the negotiated transition. Last month, Pakistan’s Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir met Saddam Haftar in Rawalpindi before the Libyan leader traveled to Washington for meetings with senior U.S. officials, highlighting Pakistan’s growing diplomatic engagement with both Libyan camps.
Libya has remained divided since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, with rival governments competing for legitimacy, control of state institutions, and access to oil wealth. Numerous internationally backed peace initiatives have failed over the past decade because of disagreements over elections, security arrangements, foreign influence, and the distribution of energy revenues. The latest mediation effort therefore faces considerable political and security challenges despite renewed international support.
Diplomatic experts caution that while Pakistan’s balanced relations with both Libyan factions may give it a unique advantage, previous peace agreements in Libya have frequently collapsed during implementation. Any durable settlement will require sustained backing from regional powers, international institutions, and Libya’s competing political and military leaderships.
If the mediation succeeds, it would represent one of Pakistan’s most significant diplomatic achievements in recent years, reinforcing its emerging role as a regional peace broker beyond South Asia. For Libya, however, the true measure of success will not be the signing of another agreement but the creation of a stable, unified government capable of ending years of political fragmentation and restoring lasting national institutions.
