Export prospects: secretary industries asked to resolve PHSADC issues

Federal Minister for the Industries and Production Ghulam Murtaza Khan Jatoi has directed secretary industries to resolve the issues being faced by the Pakistan Hunting & Sporting Arms Development Company (PHSADC). He gave these directives at a meeting convened to review the performance of the organisation. "I am optimistic that the company will contribute its sizable share to the total exports target of $94 billion over to next three years," the minister remarked.
The minister also directed Secretary Industries for an early finalisation of the board of directors of the company. The minister was informed that PHSADC was established in 2006 to provide technical assistance and seeking market access for their promotion. Earlier, Tahir Khattak, CEO, PHSADC briefed the panel about the activities and performance of the company for the year 2013-14.
PHSADC has reverse-engineered the pistols caliber 7.62x25mm, 9x19mm. These products were developed and were then forwarded for quality check to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATF), a Federal Authority within the United States Department of Justice and successfully met the BATF requirements for exports. The 12 Gauge Pump Action Shotgun was reverse-engineered and then forwarded to the CIP for the quality check and exports to the European market. The CIP is an international organisation with 14 states as its members mainly from Europe. The CIP assures that every civil firearm and all ammunition sold in CIP member states are safe for the users. The Shotgun met the standard requirements of the CIP and are now ready for exports to the European Market.
PHSADC after qualifying the criteria of the BATF and CIP displayed these products at the world renowned exhibitions of Hunting & Sporting Arms in the US and Europe where a sizeable export orders were achieved and they are now in the phase of execution. Bulk of export orders were achieved from leading arms importers. PHSADC has exported the hunting & sporting arms to different countries such as the US, the UK, Australia, Lebanon and South Africa. Khattak further added that PHSADC is in the phase of signing an MoU with a US buyer who will import pistols and other firearms from Pakistan and will sell, display, and promote these on behalf of PHSADC in different exhibitions in USA & Europe.