No deal for French subs under way
Sunday, 30 Aug, 2009 | 04:34 AM PST | Commodore Karachi Admiral Saleem Meenai talking to an official of DCN manufacturers of French Submarine Agosta-B, Karachi.File photo by APP
Pakistan Indian N-sub detrimental to regional peace: FO
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Defense Production said on Saturday it was not purchasing French submarines in place of those manufactured by Germany.
Briefing Senates Standing Committee on Defence and Defence Production, Defence Production Secretary Israr Ghumman said an evaluation committee formed by the Naval Headquarters had recommended purchase of German submarines.
He told the meeting, presided over by Chairman Lt-Gen (retd) Javed Ashraf Qazi, that the government had not signed any agreement with French authorities as reported in the media.
Senator Raja Zafarul Haq told Dawn the committee had been informed that several submarine-making companies came up with bids but on the basis of the cost and technology German submarines had been preferred by the Pakistan Navy.
He said the secretary denied the government was negotiating any deal to purchase French submarines.
He said the committee was following the purchase of submarines and if anybody was found involved in receiving kickbacks he would be exposed to the media.
The committee sought continuity of safeguards for the Pakistan Ordnance Factories, Heavy Mechanical Industries and Pakistan Aeronautical Complex which were set up through an ordinance and validated through 17th Constitutional Amendment.
The committee observed that funding system of vital defence organisations needed to be reviewed to make them financially strong and administratively more effective.
Minister for Defence Production Abdul Qayyum Khan Jatoi, Jan Mohammad Jamali, Maulana Mohammad Khan Sherani, Tahir Mashhadi and Hajid Adeel attended the meeting.