6) Addressing the “Pakistani PR” accusation head-on
If this were propaganda:
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it wouldn’t originate in Reuters,
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it wouldn’t cite multiple independent sources,
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and it wouldn’t align with existing export pipelines (Myanmar, Nigeria, Azerbaijan; negotiations elsewhere).
The fiercest criticism paradoxically concedes the core reality: Pakistan can execute such exports, even if margins are modest. On a JF-17, net profit may be a few hundred thousand dollars per unit—still meaningful for Pakistan’s defence industry and balance-of-payments math.
7) Why the West isn’t blocking it
Another misconception is that Washington would automatically veto any Chinese-linked platform sale.
In practice: