POF: The Force Behind the Forces

Forty kilometers from the federal capital Islamabad are located Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF), Pakistan's premier arms and ammunition manufacturing facility, which serve the defence requirements of the country's Armed Forces, and caters to the needs of domestic and export market.
Spread over a sprawling 26 sq. kilometers, POF is a conglomerate of 14 factories, and six subsidiaries and affiliated departments, employing over 26,000 skilled workers, engineers and scientists. The origin of POF can be traced back to the creation of Pakistan and her peculiar defence and strategic challenges of the time. At the time of partition of India, all 16 ordnance factories raised by the British fell to India, as none was located in the Muslim majority areas.
Pakistan's first Prime Minister Khan Liaquat Ali Khan issued special directive within four months of creation of Pakistan to establish an indigenous ordnance factory, which led to the groundbreaking of POF on the 28th of December 1951 at Wah Cantt. POF, which initially comprised only four workshops, today stands transformed into a modern defence industrial complex, comprising a Weapons Factory, a Propellants Factory, a Machine Gun Factory, an Explosives Factory, a Small Arms & Ammo Factory, a Filling Factory, a Medium Artillery Ammo Factory, a Brass Mills, a Heavy Artillery Ammo Factory, a Tungsten Alloy Factory, a Tank & Anti Tank Ammo Factory, a Bombs & Grenade Factory, a Carbide Factory and a Clothing Factory.
The POF produces approximately 70 major products including automatic rifles, light/medium and heavy machine guns, a wide range of mortar and artillery ammunition, aircraft and anti-aircraft ammunition, tank and anti-tank ammunition, bombs, grenades, landmines, pyrotechnics and signal stores.
In addition POF has also developed purpose made weapons to fulfil specific requirements of Armed Forces of Pakistan. Case in points are POF Eye, a special-purpose hand-held weapon system that can engage targets around corners by giving a vital advantage to its user in built up areas and hostage situations. Modifications done in standard G-3 to convert it into an assault riffle.
Pakistan Ordnance Factories also specialize in the manufacture of commercial explosive, hunting ammunition and posses extensive facilities for the manufacture of brass, copper and aluminium ingots, extrusions and sections for non-military applications. Its six subsidiaries, Wah Nobel Group of Companies (Wah Nobel Chemical, Wah Nobel Acetates & Wah Nobel Detonators), Wah Industries Limited (Shot Gun Ammo, Packaging Fy & Hi-Tech Plastics) are highly reputed inside Pakistan and in foreign markets for their products such as explosives, chemicals, variety of engineering items, and high precision plastic parts for assembling, and other consumer items.
The precision and reliability of POF's arms and ammunition have led to creation of growing demand in international market; with clientele spread over 40 countries in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the Americas. Like any dynamic organisations, POF has planned to upgrade and value add its products by acquiring new technologies. According to the plan, 16 new technologies are being introduced with the collaboration of friendly countries. This will be a major step towards achieving new technologies after 1970 and as a result, POF will be able to meet the defence needs of the country as well enhance its exports.
By venturing into the field of exports on a regular basis and on a modest scale, POF has established its reputation as a supplier of quality goods in the international market. This fact is adequately endorsed in POF's strict adherence to QHSE Policy across the board, and acquisition of international quality certifications such as ISO 9001 - 2001, ISO - 14001, ISO - 17025, and OHSAS 18001 - 1999.
Today's POF is imbued with a deep drive to serve the cause of peace and stability. It is this conviction that translates itself into a softer side of POF in terms of welfare initiatives and commitment to contribute to the general fund of human happiness. The organisation is powered by a firm belief that a happy healthy workforce is vital to its productivity. POF's philanthropic investments in health, education, sports, skill development and general wellbeing of the people, have gone a long way to shape the local community and the town, into what many have described as an icon of excellence.