Business deals worth Rs 7 million to Rs 8 million have been signed besides the sale of vintages, guns and other accessories during the recently concluded Target & Outdoor Shooting Sports (TOSS)-Show 2018 held at Pak-China Friendship Centre, Islamabad.
Talking to this scribe, the acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Pakistan Hunting and Sports Arms Development Company (PHSADC), Tahir Nawaz Khattak said that the show had received tremendous response from the people as over 21000 visitors including the officers of Pakistan Army, representatives of defence agencies, arms dealers, professional shooters and hunters had visited the show.
He said that a total of 70 stalls were established for showcasing arms, knives, gun boxes, accessories and hunting accessories for the visitors.
"Our manufactured arms are certified by international accrediting agencies, therefore, the government instead of importing should purchase it from the local manufacturers," said Khattak.
The purchase of the local arms, he said will save the precious foreign exchange and help promote the local industry. He said that any move in this regard will not only help reduce the smuggling of arms, rather will also generate employment opportunities in the country.
Minister of State for Interior, Shehryar Afridi, who was chief guest of the inaugural ceremony, had assured all kind of support including taking steps for the promotion of local arms manufacturers and its regulations.
The successful show had proved that time had arrived that now the government should take steps for the prevention of the arms smuggling and promote the legal business.
For this purpose, the government is required to at least ban the importation of arms for civilians that will generate maximum revenue for the country. Ban on the issuance of arms licence in Punjab and Sindh provinces has been imposed for last three years that has halted the legal sale and purchase of arms in the country. Therefore, the government should frame strategy for the regularization of the legal sale of arms and give role to Pakistan Hunting and Sporting Arms Development Company (PHSADC) in this regard.