According to a news report published in The News, SIPRI’s report showed that China, Russia and Italy were the main supplier of arms to Pakistan. According to the research institute, China accounted for 73% of the total arms imports of Pakistan over 2015-2019, with Russia (6.6%) and Italy (6.1%) second and third on the list respectively.
The institute claimed that both India and Pakistan used imported aircrafts and weapons of Russia, Israel, US, and China during the confrontation between both the countries in 2019.
The report revealed that the Pakistani share in global arms imports decreased 39% in the period. The institute noted that US arms imports to Pakistan declined by 92%, and to India by 51%, over this period.
The institute further revealed that the US accounted for 30 per cent of Pakistan’s arms imports in 2010–14 but 4.1 per cent in 2015–19. It noted that the largest exporters of arms during the past five years were the United States, Russia, France, Germany and China. The data showed that the flow of arms to the Middle East increased, with Saudi Arabia the world’s largest importer between 2015-19 in the world.