Pakistan’s foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, has dealt a significant blow to the country’s arms export narrative by revealing that no binding arms sale deal was made with Libya, only a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This admission highlights a recurring issue in Pakistan’s defense diplomacy, where an estimated 80% of announced MoUs fail to materialize into actual contracts. The fragmented political landscape in Libya complicates potential defense procurements further, underscoring the gap between political signaling and commercial realities in defense exports. The clarity on the distinction between an MoU and a binding agreement casts doubt on Pakistan’s claims of rising influence in the global arms market, emphasizing the necessity for credible, executed agreements over speculative announcements.