Pakistan reaches drone deal with Trump-backed firm selling to India

Pakistan has agreed to a new drone deal with a company backed by former US President Donald Trump, and that company already sells drones to India, Al Jazeera reported on 23 September.

Al Jazeera carried the lead report under the headline 'Pakistan's latest Trump bet is on drone firm already selling to India'. A syndicated version on MSN used the headline 'Pakistan's new drone deal is with Trump-backed firm also selling to India'. Neither report named the company or gave the value, timeline or types of drones involved.

The syndicated report added that the company's cofounder is a former Israeli soldier, and noted that Pakistan does not recognise Israel. It did not say whether Pakistani officials knew of the cofounder's background when the deal was arranged, or whether the government had raised the matter with the company.

The reference to Trump indicates the company has some form of backing from the former president's business or political network, but the reports did not specify what that backing is. Al Jazeera described the arrangement as Pakistan's latest Trump bet, without further sourcing in the material available to Skardu Times.

The reports gave no indication whether the arrangement is a purchase, a joint venture or a technology transfer, or which Pakistani agency is involved. They also did not say whether the deal has been finalised or simply approved in principle.

The disclosure that the company also sells to India is likely to draw scrutiny because Pakistan and India have a long-running military and political rivalry. Defence suppliers with customers on both sides often face questions about end-use and technology safeguards.

No public statement from the Pakistani government, the armed forces or the company had been issued by the time this story was filed, and Skardu Times could not independently verify the deal, the company's sales to India, or the cofounder's background.