Business Desk 
Jan 14, 2026
Pakistan is in talks with several countries over potential agreements to sell JF-17 Thunder fighter jets, Minister for Defence Production Raza Hayat Haraj confirmed on Wednesday, adding that negotiations were underway with multiple states for the export of the multi-role combat aircraft.
The minister, in an interview with BBC, said any agreement would require China’s consent, given its role in the development of the JF-17 Thunder fighter jets. “These negotiations are taking place, and they take some time. Many countries are interested in these aircraft,” said Haraj.
However, upon asking about the countries' names, with whom Pakistan is in talks to sell JF-17 fighter jets, but the minister avoided naming any country, saying: “These are classified matters. I cannot name any country or say at what level our talks with them are.
"When these aircraft are delivered, the world will know which countries have bought them, said Haraj, adding that “Performance of JF-17 Thunder jets during the Pakistan-India war was seen by air forces around the world, and it was praised”.
The price of the JF-17 jet is also "an important factor", as the average price of such aircraft ranges between $250 and $350 million, whereas JF-17 Thunder is priced lower than that. He said: “Its price is approximately $40 to $50 million”.
Earlier, Bloomberg reported, citing sources, that Turkiye was interested in manufacturing drones in Pakistan. When asked about this, the minister did not deny the reports and said: “I cannot tell you anything clearly, but I can say this much: a lot of work is being done on UAVs (drones) in Pakistan, even in the private sector, and many private companies are working in this field”.
Which countries are likely to get JF-17 Thunder?
Reuters has reported multiple times, citing official sources, mentioning Pakistan's talks with Libya, Sudan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia regarding defence agreements, particularly sale of JF-17 Thunder jets.
