ISLAMABAD: A three-day ‘Target and Outdoor Shooting Sports (TOSS) Show 2015’ was inaugurated on Friday and showcased locally made weapons including pistols, revolvers, shotguns, Damascus knives, daggers, swords and also accessories like leather holsters.

More than 60 companies from across the country participated in the exhibition and mostly displayed weapons produced locally.

However, there were also some stalls which put to show imported weapons like bow and arrows, air guns and air pistols.

The chairperson of the Pakistan Hunting and Sporting Arms Development Company (PHSADC), Zahidullah Shinwari, inaugurated the show and said the event will help bring forward the talent of gunsmiths.

“We hope the show will serve as a platform for the hunting and sporting arms manufacturers and prospective buyers - local and foreign - to meet and interact,” he said.

Mr Shinwari added that PHSAC was working towards regulating the arms manufacturing sector through the establishment of a small industrial estate at Peshawar and Darra Adam Khel.

Guests at the event seemed excited to be around the weapons and many took pictures with them as well. Some families lined up for taking pictures with a weapon in their hands.

Mrs Rashida had come to the show with her family and said she had never held a gun before. While her husband was happy to be photographed with a large dagger, her young son insisted on taking a picture with a large, double barrel shotgun and struggled with the gun’s weight.

A Turkish family seemed to be particularly taken with semi-automatic weapons. Posing with many pistols, revolvers and rifles at a stall by Peshawar Arms, one of them said: “Our relatives back home will be amazed to see this silver shotgun in my hands.”

Asad Khan, who was managing the Peshawar Arms stall said: “They are probably excited about these weapons because rich European families used to own 10 bore, double barrel shot guns like these.”

He said his company exports the shotguns to the US and Europe.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2015