Senate body lauds indignization, upgradation efforts of military hardware production

• Efforts made by the Armament Research and Development Establishment with modest financial allocation was praiseworthy, the chairman said.
• The committee however, showed concern in the uncalled delay in the processing of new Gawadar Shipyard and asked government of Balochistan to expedite coordination with Ministry of Defence Production.
• Domestic production should be encouraged. Private sector should also be encouraged.

ISLAMABAD: Senate Standing Committee on Defence Production on Wednesday lauded the efforts of Defence Production establishments for their successes in indigenization, up-gradation and modernization of military hardware to keep pace with the ever increasing international developments and changing requirements of the modern battle field.

Chairing the meeting of the committee on Defence Production, Senator Lt Gen (Retd) Abdul Qayyum said our defence production establishments have done wonderful innovative work, they need to optimize their utilization by running their set ups on sound commercial lines.

Efforts made by the Armament Research and Development Establishment with modest financial allocation was praiseworthy, the chairman said.

He said well funded and suitably staffed by professional scholars and technocrats, research and development set ups play a pivotal role in the modernization of any civil or military institution involved in creative pursuits, said the Senator.

The committee however, showed concern in the uncalled delay in the processing of new Gawadar Shipyard and asked government of Balochistan to expedite coordination with Ministry of Defence Production.

Restructuring of Defence Production set ups if needed, may be undertaking but the ministry must have separate budget allocation and should gradually become self-sustaining.

Domestic production should be encouraged. Private sector should also be encouraged. There should be provided dedicated budget of the ministry, he stated.

Briefing the committee, Minister for Defence Production Zubaida Jalal said the ministry of Defence Production was being restructured. Young educated persons were being recruited in sales department of the ministry to make it self sufficient.

She said Balochistan government has agreed to handover 600 acre land for construction of Gawadar Shipyard in Kappar area of the province.

The meeting was attended by Senator Prvez Rashid,Syed Mushahid Hussain Syed, Nauman Wazir Khattak,Nuzhat Sadiq,Muhammad Akram,Taj Muhammad Afridi, Anwar Lal Din and Gul Bashra.