Developed countries evince keen interest in local arms: PHSADC

Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Pakistan Hunting and Sporting Arms Development Company (PHSADC), Tahir Khattak has said that due to good quality of the locally manufactured arms, the United States and other developed countries have shown keen interest in Pakistani products.
Talking to this scribe, he said that Pakistan is spending a huge amount on import of small arms every year and request the government for adopting import substitution policy and imposition of ban on the import of small arms.
The decision, he said will not only save foreign exchange, but will also contribute in the regularization of the sector, which will ultimately lead to minimizing the smuggling and will help to ensure the end user traceability of the production of the sector, which is a long lasting issue of the law-enforcement agencies and their concerned quarters, He said that favourable business policy will boost the industrial activities, which will subsequently create more job opportunities in the less developed areas of the country.
Khattak said that KP province, especially Peshawar and Darra Adam Khel have century-long rich heritage of manufacturing hunting and sporting arms. Due to large and recognized world market for hunting and sporting arms, this industry has become a hub for hunting and sporting arms.
There is a great potential of rapidly growing legitimate trade of hunting & sporting arms in the world market and in order to explore this potential and become a player in world exports of hunting and sporting arms, the Government of Pakistan has setup, Pakistan Hunting and Sporting Arms Development Company (PHSADC).
Among the key and basic purposes of the company is to develop and promote hunting and sporting arms and accessories in the country to bring competitiveness in the sector and to improve quality of their products to compete the international standards.
The Peshawar cluster of the manufacturers of small arms comprises of 66 registered manufacturing SMEs, mostly located at Kohat Road, Peshawar.
These units employ nearly 5000 directed workforces. In the Darra Adam Khel cluster 80 percent of the total population is employed in the sector.
Different hunting and sporting arms are manufactured in both of these clusters that include pistols, 12 bore shotguns, pump action guns, rifle and vintage weapons.
About the performance of the company, he said that the ample proof of the successful intervention of PHSADC was receiving of export orders from buyers in the United States, Europe and Africa.
The product made in Pakistan, he said has achieved BATF certification for exporting the products to the USA. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATF) is a federal law enforcement organization within the United States Department of Justice.
In this connection, the acting CEO Tahir Khattak said that the company is going to organize TOSS Show on 28th-30th September 2018 at Pak-China Friendship Centre, Islamabad. 70-plus craftsmen from across the country will display their products.