Public-private partnership must for self-reliance in defence production, says COAS

RAWALPINDI: The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has stressed the need to amplify indigenisation through fully integrated public and private organisations in defence production for meaningful progression in the country's defence.

“Apart from public sector and defence production organisations, a fully integrated private sector is much wanting in our defence industry,” the COAS said while addressing a two-day national seminar on “Defence Production - Security through Self Reliance” at the Army Auditorium, Rawalpindi, on Friday. The army chief said there is a need for enhanced public private partnership to turn Pakistan's defence industry into a vibrant, self-reliant and self-sustained entity.

According to the ISPR, the seminar was aimed at self-reliance by exploring indigenous defence production potential, identifying organisational and institutional challenges of the defence industry, pragmatic solutions to optimise defence production and recommending policy-level measures to have fully immersed private sector in defence production.

Members from different ministries, public and private organisations, chambers of commerce and industry, defence production establishments and academia attended the seminar. Representatives from public sector discussed and suggested the way forwardfor public private partnership in defence production.

Speaking on the occasion Zobaida Jalal, Minister for Defence Production, and Fawad Chaudhry, Minister for Science and Technology, shared their views and suggestions for development of Pakistan defence industry into a prolific entity. The representatives from private sectors highlighted the roadmap for enhancing public-private partnership in the area. Abdul Razak Dawood, Adviser to PM on Commerce, Textile, Industry and Production and Investment, enlightened the participants on the importance of independent defence industry for national security.

Based on discussion and suggestions during the two-day sessions, the seminar concluded with policy-level recommendations for the government.

The major recommendations included establishment of a task force under the prime minister for roadmap to facilitating indigenous defence production, establishing a raw material industry, incorporating private sector for raw material base so as to optimally utilise public sector capacity for indigenous defence production, surplus defence potential for export, establishing digital parks to tap the potential of the software industry and promoting research and development in the universities. The army chief along with other guests also visited stalls of the different organisations involved in the defence production.