Small Industrial Estate to be set up in Darra Adamkhel

The NWFP Governor, Awais Ahmad Ghani has agreed with a proposal to set up Small Industrial Estate in Darra Adamkhel for the facilitation of arms manufactures and to improve the standard of small arms being produced in the area.
The idea to establish small industrial estate in Darra was flouted during a presentation to NWFP Governor by Chairman Pakistan Hunting and Sporting Arms Development Company (PHSADC), Nauman Wazir. Talking to APP, Nauman Wazir informed that Governor Awais Ahmad Ghani agreed that with the establishment of small industrial estate, the arm manufacturers of Darra will get proper infrastructure facility.
Presently, he said, the arms manufacturing units are facing great problems especially due to frequent and long hours electricity disruption. The Governor was also informed that there are about 34 licensed gun manufacturers in Peshawar and 87 in Darra which are providing employment to about 36,000 workers directly and indirectly.
The Governor held out assurance of his full co-operation in setting up industrial estate in Darra, Nauman added. The presentation, he continued, was arranged to apprise the NWFP Governor about the objectives and performance of PHSADC.
The Governor was apprised that PHSADC is striving to unleash the hidden potential of guns craftsmen and artisan through improving their skills by utilising appropriate technology and by bringing them under legal net to produce non lethal value added products hence making it a globally acceptable arm.
The PHSADC, he added, is also helping the government in its fight against terrorism by bringing the arms manufacturers under legal net by producing hunting and sporting arms and discouraging lethal weapons. The arms manufacturers are encouraged to produce non-firing products like wall hangers, replicas, vintage weapons, swords, daggers and leather cases instead of producing lethal weapon, he added.
The strategy of PHSADC is to improve skill of arms manufacturers so that hunting and sporting arms could be made exportable. In this regard, he added, PHSADC is focusing on technology advancement and pursuing value addition through capacity building and product diversification.
About the vision of PHSADC, he said, the Governor was informed that the company has set a target of earning 100 million dollars by the year 2011 through exporting sports arms and accessories. Similarly, 500 arms manufacturers would be documented and registered with PHSADC and skill of 250 artisans would be improved in three years.
The PHSADC also plan to educate 200 amateur and professional sports person in gun safety and hunting etiquettes in three years. About the achievement, he said, the Governor was informed that for the first time arms manufacturers from Darra and Peshawar participated and exhibited their products in international exhibition IDEAs 2008.