Pakistan starts earning int’l recognition for quality defence production: Qayyum

ISLAMABAD: Chairman of Senate Standing Committee on Defence Production Lt Gen (Retd) Abdul Qayyum, after being re-elected, Monday said Pakistan’s indigenous defence production skills had now started earning international recognition especially in the fields of state-of-the-art small arms, artillery and tank ammunitions.

“Top of the line are Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), tanks, missiles and fighter jets,” Qayyum said after his re-election as the chairman. Senator Nauman Wazir Khattak proposed his name for the chairmanship, which was seconded by Senator Nuzhat Sadiq.

He said fast evolving regional and global geo-strategic environments had witnessed a shift in security paradigm, adding “This makes structural and technological improvements in Defence Production Industry unavoidable. It is for this reason that despite financial difficulties we have been focusing on research and indigenization in the defence production field.”

Besides own defence and security needs, he said, Pakistan had been endeavoring to promote export of its defence hardware because international arms trade had also become a significant economic activity world-over, which was highly lucrative.

“It also creates synergized effects with other domestic private sector industries to promote growth in defence technologies in both public and private sectors,” he said.

The Senate body ensures oversight of Pakistan Defense Production set ups including Defence Export Promotion Organization, Pakistan Ordnance Factories, Wah Cantt, Heavy Industries Taxila, HIT, Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, Kamra, Military Vehicle Research and Development Establishment, National Radio and Telecommunication Corporation, Haripur, Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works.

The newly formed committee, led by its chairman, is consisted of nine members including senators Nuzhat Sadiq, Pervaiz Rasheed, Muhammad Akram, Molana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, Imamuddin Shouqeen, Nauman Wazir Khattak, Taj Muhammad Afridi, Naseebullah Khan Bazai and Gul Bashra.