The Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) Kamra has built and exported around 80 Mushaq aircraft during the last five years, while some are in the final stage of completion.
The Senate Standing Committee on Defence Production met here under the chairmanship of Lieutenant General Abdul Qayyum (retd) on Thursday.
The committee was apprised of the innovations, technical mechanisms and aircraft manufacturing skills by Chairman PAC Air Marshal Ahmar Shahzad.
The committee was informed that the manufacturing of JF-17 Thunder aircraft is underway which would be exported to Myanmar while an accord has been signed to sell the jet fighters to Nigeria.
He said that the PAC comprises four factories, namely Aircraft Rebuild, Miraj Rebuild, Avionics Production and Aircraft Manufacturing Factory, which have been providing aircraft maintenance services for the last four decades.
The PAC has gained fame in the world due to its manufacturing skills as it is providing engineering solutions at low cost with the help of Pakistan Air Force and friendly countries, he added.
The PAC chairman said that the PAC would initiate line maintenance operation of the aircraft at Islamabad International Airport on January 25.
Appreciating the PAC's efforts, the committee chairman said, "We should be fully-prepared for peace and war. We must be self-sufficient to meet our defence needs." He said the defence production has nowadays become commercial in the developed countries.
Responding to the queries of committee members, the PAC chairman said that they have approached big investors through chambers of commerce in Karachi and Lahore, but their response was not satisfactory.
The PAC, he said, is self-sufficient to meet its requirements and has never felt the need for foreign engineers.
The chairman committee, however, said that a separate fund should be dedicated for the production, development and maintenance of 5th generation aircraft and its production should be appreciated as well. He said PAC Kamra and NESCOM should collaborate with foreign institutes and production complex to enhance the capability and engineering. He said that Pakistani manufactured Super Mushaq is being used in the Middle East and a number of African countries.