PESHAWAR, Feb 8: Sport guns and copies of vintage weapons manufactured in Darra Adamkhel have attracted foreign buyers and some of the internationally known firms have showed interest in placing orders with the Darra arms manufacturers, official sources told Dawn here on Thursday.

“Some of the US and UK firms have shown interest to purchase vintage weapons manufactured in the tribal town of Darra Adamkhel,” a senior government functionary said.

In this respect, the sources said, one of the internationally known firm had also forwarded a long list of vintage weapons, assault rifles, hunting guns and spares it wanted to purchase from one of the arms manufacturer of Darra Adamkhel, a tribal town near Peshawar known worldwide for the production of copies of world’s best weapons including pistols, rifles and their spares.

Interest on the part of international firms had come in line with the initiative of introducing Darra Adamkhel’s weaponry in the world markets on the part of some of the federal agencies dealing in exports of defence products.

Federal agencies working to improve defence products’ exports, had also moved the industries and culture ministries of the government of the NWFP to organize the Darra Adamkhel’s arms manufacturing and in this connection, a number of Darra Adamkhel’s  arms  dealers  and manufacturers was also being developed to facilitate the tribal businessmen by introducing their products in the international markets.

“The government wants the Darra’s arms dealers and manufacturers to have access to the international markets with dual purpose of improving the country’s exports revenue and making the government’s de-weaponization campaign by tapping  world  markets for the tribal arms  dealers  and manufacturers.”

Market for de-activated vintage weapons, the sources said, have also been tapped, primarily in Europe and in some of the cases “purchase orders are also in the pipeline.”

As a step forward to the direction of opening new avenues for the Darra arms manufacturers and dealers — running in several thousands — the federal authorities concerned are working to involve the arms dealers and manufacturer by undertaking export-oriented joint ventures with the tribal businessmen of Darra Adamkhel.

In this respect, some of the military organizations, the sources said, have also asked the federal and provincial governments’ to arrange extending credit for these manufacturers and dealers, mostly lacking sufficient financial resources.

Two of the Darra Adamkhel’s arms manufacturers producing copies old weapons and hunting guns, are already working with federal agencies responsible for the country’s defence products’ exports, had also been shortlisted for extending them financial support.

The sources added that the government has also decided that the Darra Adamkhel’s arms manufacturers producing quality would be issued certificates allowing them transportation and exports of vintage weapons and replicas of assault and hunting rifles.

“Federal agencies involved in exports have also been issued instructions to materialize the move,” the sources said.