Pakistan has halted a $1.5 billion deal to supply weapons and aircraft to Sudan after Saudi Arabia declined to finance the agreement and requested its cancellation, according to two Pakistani security sources and a diplomatic source cited by Reuters.
One of the security sources said, “Saudi Arabia indicated that Pakistan should end the deal after stepping back from funding it.”
Islamabad had been close to finalizing the agreement. Reuters previously reported in January that the deal was in its final stages and that Saudi Arabia had played a mediating role, though no financing from Riyadh had been disclosed at the time.
The deal was one of several arms export agreements negotiated by Pakistan Army, whose aircraft and weapons systems gained increased attention following clashes with India in May last year.
The Pakistani military did not respond to requests for comment from Reuters, and both the army and air force had previously neither confirmed nor denied that such an agreement was under preparation.
