ISLAMABAD: A Senate panel on Thursday condemned Delhi’s illegal move to change the status of the disputed territory of Kashmir and make it part of India and termed the action a constitutional coup. The panel also blasted repeated ceasefire violations by Indian troops along the Line of Control.

The Senate Committee on Defence Production assured the nation that the country was self-sufficient in production of its military hardware and it would give a befitting response to any Indian aggression against the country.

The chairman of the committee, Senator retired Lt Gen Abdul Qayyum, who is also a member of the Senate Committee on Defence and Kashmir, said: “Our ammunition dumps are full and defence production needs of armed forces are fully met from bullets to missiles to strategic assets.”

He said Pakistan had no offensive designs, but any aggression would be responded with full force.

Nation assured that befitting response would be given to any Indian aggression

The meeting of the committee, held at the Parliament House, was attended among others by Senators Nauman Wazir Khattak, Pervaiz Rashid, Nuzhat Sadiq, Gul Bashra, Abdul Ghafoor Haideri and Major General Kamran.

The meeting was given a detailed briefing by the Defence Export Promotion Organisation (DEPO) on the function, budget, business/commercial plans, issues, challenges and other related matters. The meeting was informed how DEPO had over the years become a focal point for promoting the defence industry.

The committee was further informed that representation from the private sector was not very high in the country’s defence production industry or in the exhibitions outside because of low subsidy, but slowly new manufacturers were coming up.

The committee was told that one of the challenges the organisation faced was that extension of DEPO for the current year was still awaited and a draft legislation for Defence Export Promotion Authority had been forwarded to the federal cabinet for approval.

The committee unanimously recommended expediting the process.

The chairman of the committee appreciated the role and efforts of DEPO and observed that Pakistan had over the years expanded its defence production export and the work of DEPO in exhibiting and showcasing products of the country had a big role to play in it.

The committee said that DEPO should submit highlights of the institution-wise increase in defence exports ever since DEPO came into existence.

Towards the end of the meeting, fateha was offered for martyred Kashmiris and military officers and soldiers.

Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2019