Pakistan Denies Reports of Selling Arms to Ukraine for IMF Bailout Pakistan has firmly rejected recent reports claiming that it sold arms and ammunition to Ukraine in order to secure a crucial bailout package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The Foreign Office Spokesperson, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, called the reports "baseless and fabricated". She emphasized that the IMF Standby Arrangement was successfully negotiated between Pakistan and the IMF to implement essential economic reforms, and any other interpretation of the negotiations was disingenuous.

Baloch also stated that Pakistan maintained a policy of strict neutrality in the Ukraine-Russia conflict and did not provide arms or ammunition to either side. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba also dismissed similar claims during his visit to Pakistan in July, stating that the two nations had no agreement for the supply of arms and ammunition. Former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari echoed these views, confirming that Pakistan had not signed any military supply agreement with Ukraine since the war began. The Intercept, an investigative website, had reported that the arms sales were made to supply the Ukrainian military and facilitate the IMF bailout.

However, Pakistani officials have refuted these claims, asserting that Pakistan's defense exports are always accompanied by strict end-user requirements. They further emphasized that if a third party supplied weapons purchased from Pakistan to another country, it would be the responsibility of that third party. These recent developments highlight the delicate balancing act that Pakistan has been engaged in between Russia and the US since the Russia-Ukraine crisis began. Despite the pressures, Pakistan maintains its commitment to strict neutrality in geopolitical conflicts. As Pakistan works to stabilize its ailing economy, it is crucial to separate fact from fiction and rely on verified information.