Pakistan has reportedly stepped up diplomatic efforts to help reunify Libya, marking a significant new initiative to end more than a decade of political division in the oil-rich North African nation. According to Reuters, mediation talks began late last year after Libya’s two rival administrations requested Pakistan’s involvement in efforts to negotiate a political settlement. The initiative is said to have the backing of the United States, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey. Libya has remained politically fractured since the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi. Since then, the country has been divided between the internationally recognized Government of National Unity, led by Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh in the west, and the eastern-based Government of National Stability, backed by military commander Khalifa Haftar.
The reported proposal outlines a 36-month transitional power-sharing arrangement that would see Dbeibeh remain prime minister while Haftar’s son, Saddam Haftar, would chair a new presidential council. Under the proposed framework, Haftar’s eastern administration would also receive authority over national budget allocations, reflecting its control of much of Libya’s oilfields and critical infrastructure. If successful, the mediation could pave the way for unified national institutions and eventually national elections, ending years of political deadlock that have hampered security, economic recovery and governance in Libya.
