Pakistan's Foreign Office has officially refuted the information published by The Intercept portal regarding an alleged agreement between Islamabad and Washington. This supposed deal was said to involve the supply of ammunition to Kiev in exchange for assistance in renewing an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
"Pakistan and the IMF have engaged in productive negotiations concerning an IMF standby arrangement aimed at implementing challenging yet essential reforms. Any attempts to portray these negotiations differently are disingenuous," stated Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, the spokesperson for the Pakistani Foreign Ministry, during a press briefing on September 18.
"Pakistan adheres to a policy of staunch neutrality in the Ukraine-Russia conflict and, consequently, does not provide arms or ammunition to either party. It's important to note that Pakistan's defense exports are subject to rigorous end-use requirements," she emphasized.
On September 17, the US news portal The Intercept published an article alleging that "the US assisted Pakistan in securing IMF financial aid through a covert agreement to supply arms to Ukraine," purportedly supported by leaked documents. The report asserted that Islamabad had delivered ammunition valued at a minimum of $900 million to Kiev in return for Washington's support during negotiations with the IMF.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Taimur Dee/Creative Commons 4.0
Based on materials from TASS