ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Defence Production on Tuesday called for ensuring Pakistan Air Force’s improved combat worthiness.

The directives were given during an in-camera briefing by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, Kamra, on the projects it was undertaking and its plans for achieving self-sufficiency.

According to a statement issued by the Senate Secretariat on the meeting presided over by Senator retired Lt Gen Abdul Qayyum, the committee emphasised according top priority to enhancing combat worthiness of PAF; innovative research and self-reliance through indigenous pursuits; commercialisation of products; making products competitive through reduction of production costs and overheads; and ensuring foolproof security of the defence production installations.

Gen Qayyum remarked that Pakistan would develop combat worthiness to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity at all costs.

The Senate committee said that all requirements of PAF should be met to enable it to effectively counter threats. Indigenisation, it said, would reduce reliance on foreign countries.

Commercialisation, the committee maintained, would not only earn much-needed foreign exchange but would also help reinforce bilateral ties with friendly countries.

“This would need excessive marketing, reasonable prices and qualitative edge over the products of our competitors,” it said.

The committee underscored the need to follow a realistic costing system and curtailment of unnecessary manpower and logistic burdens.

Published in Dawn, January 8th, 2020