The chairman committee, who is also member of Senate Committees on Defence and Kashmir, said that Pakistan's ammunition dumps are full and defence needs of armed forces have been fulfilled from bullets to missiles and from missiles to strategic assets. He said that Pakistan has no offensive designs but any aggression will be met with full force.
The Senate Standing Committee on Defence Production assured the Pakistani nation that Pakistan is self-sufficient in production of its military hardware and will give a befitting response to any Indian aggression against Pakistan.
The meeting was given a detailed briefing by the officials of Defence Export Promotion Organisation (DEPO) regarding its functions, role, budget, business/commercial plans, issues, challenges and other related matters. The meeting was told how the DEPO has over the years been a focal point for promotion of defence industry. From 65 exhibitors in 2000, Ideas Exhibition in Karachi has reached 524 exhibitors in 2018.
The committee was told that representation from the private sector is not very high in the country's defence production industry or in foreign exhibitions because of low subsidy; however, new manufacturers are coming up.
The committee was told that one of the challenges the organisation is facing is that the extension of DEPO for the current year is still awaited and draft legislation for Defence Export Promotion Authority (DEPA) has been forwarded to the cabinet for approval. The committee unanimously recommended expediting the process.
The chairman committee appreciated the role and efforts of the DEPO and observed that Pakistan has over the years expanded its defence production exports and the work of DEPO in exhibiting and showcasing the products of country has a big role to play. The committee desired that the DEPO should submit highlights of institution wise increase in defence exports since it came into existence.
Among others, the meeting was attended by senators including Nauman Wazir Khattak, Pervaiz Rasheed, Nuzhat Sadiq, Gul Bushra, Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, Major General Kamran, director general DEPO and officials from the Ministry of Defence Production and DEPO.