GOP SIGNS CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS MAINTENANCE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ISLAMABAD 015977 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/11/2016 TAGS: ETRD ETTC LY MASS MCAP PINR PK PREL SUBJECT: GOP SIGNS CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS MAINTENANCE CONTRACT WITH LIBYA Classified By: DCM Peter W. Bodde,, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) (C) On August 11, MFA (Americas) Director General Sohail Mahmood advised the DCM that the Government of Pakistan (GOP) has entered into a contract with Libya to perform maintenance work on two conventional weapons systems, the ANZA surface-to-air missiles and Baktar-Shikan ("armour piercing") anti-tank weapons. Mahmood said that Libya originally purchased both systems through the Khan Research Laboratories'(KRL) conventional weapons branch. Libya recently requested the maintenance contract for the systems, which has been executed through KRL. In response to follow-up questions by the DCM, Mahmood said that he would forward information to the Embassy soonest on when the weapons systems were originally sold to Libya, the dollar value of the maintenance contract and when work under the contract will begin. CROCKER