I've said it a million times, Pakistan will not being buying millions of rifles right from the beginning. Rifles aren't like fighters or tanks, you can buy them in smaller, cheaper batches, and in longer terms.
The only issue Pakistan will have is being able to buy the tot and being able to pay for the manufacturing plants at POF, which it probably already plans to do.
Pakistan sent in a request for hk's participation, HK didn't respond...at least that's what the general belief is.
It's a competition, may the best rifle win, and it seems like the ARX, SCAR and the Bren are on top of the list.
This.
While 1K+ seems a bit much, elite army and special forces units will likely get their hands on the top rifles that PA is thinking about. Those will likely be field tested against insurgents, and/or in live fire exercises.
Personally, I still think ARX has the best chance of winning. The SCAR price per system is far too much, and the Bren probably doesn't have the confidence of the PA. ARX hits that sweet spot between being a high end gun with a high end price, but being cheaper than the SCAR.