Pakistan outlines plans to revive defence industrial base

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is planning several new initiatives to reinvigorate the country’s military-industrial complex, which is likely to have suffered due to the impact of COVID-19.

The country’s Ministry of Defence Production (MoDP) said in a report in August 2020 that it is planning new policies for defence production and defence offsets, and also restructuring internally to “make it more efficient and viable”. It is seeking to enhance the role of the country’s private sector in defence manufacturing, reported foreign media.

The ministry said it is also reorganising Pakistan’s most prominent state-owned defence enterprises to give them greater independent control.

The MoDP said in its newly published ‘Two years performance report’ that in line with government targets it is committed to supporting the development of an “internationally competitive defence production sector”.