ISLAMABAD, Pakistan
The Pakistani government has approved the purchase of eight submarines from China in a move to enhance influence and security over its seas, officials have said.
An official from Pakistan's Defence Ministry said in Islamabad on Thursday: "Negotiations have been going on with China, Germany and France for a while to buy the submarines and the government granted approval."
Retired Former Defence Secretary General Asif Yasin Malik told The Anadolu Agency that Pakistan was buying the submarines from China as those from France and Germany were much more expensive.
Malik said the submarines would be delivered to Pakistan in two stages over the next few years.
'Strengthened security'
He said: "The submarines will have potential to fire a nuclear weapon ... and will cost about $5 billion.
"France had refused to sell their submarines to Pakistan."
Another official from Pakistan's Naval Forces said the navy had French-made Agosta submarines and the inclusion of the Chinese submarines would enable Pakistan to strengthen the security of its sea borders.
Mohammad Salem Saathi, the undersecretary of the country's Economy Ministry, is expected to discuss the deal with Chinese authorities in upcoming days.
China is now the third-biggest arms exporter after the U.S. and Russia in the global arms market after increasing its share by 14 percent between 2005-2009 and 2010-2014, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
China also has an existing missile technology agreement with Pakistan and Pakistan's Al-Khalid tank and JF 17 warplanes are being produced in cooperation with China.
