Pak. to export defence products

By Our Special Correspondent

ISLAMABAD, MARCH 22. In its quest for new markets for defence products, Pakistan has decided to offer a number of such products under the South Asian Preferential Trade Agreement (SAPTA).

The News, an English daily, said in a report today that the defence products would form part of about 100 items to be exchanged under the SAPTA umbrella at `attractive rates' after clearance by the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation's Inter-Governmental Group.

The group is scheduled to meet in Kathmandu in the first week of April to initiate fourth round of talks under the agreement. Besides defence items, cotton, ships, boats, floating structures, footwear, tin and lead, cereals, live animals, clocks, watches, meat, meat offal, beverages, fertilizers and leather articles are in the basket of items being offered by Pakistan.

Of late, there has been an emphasis in Pakistan on export of defence products, which, the Government is convinced, could be a good source to shore up foreign exchange earnings. It organised a massive defence exhibition in Karachi a few weeks ago.

Islamabad is one of the major participants in the IDEX defence exhibition which is in progress at Abu Dhabi. Twelve Pakistani companies are taking part in the fair.

Maj. Gen. Syed Ali Hamid, chairman, Pakistan Defence Export Promotion Organisation, has been quoted as saying that ``Pakistan's nuclear capability shows we have the technology level, such as for delivery system. That is where spin-offs come. Pakistan now feels that it is in a position to offer mature products in the international field.''

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Section  : International
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