GlobalVillageSpace
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GVS: General Aamer, can you give us a brief overview of how the Heavy Industries Taxila was conceived in 1971? What were the circumstances? And why not before 1971?
Major General Aamer: First of all, if you recollect the post-independence situation, the equipment with Pakistan Army was western World War 2 vintage. Then we had certain pacts with the United States in 1954 and 1962 through which we were able to have M-47 and M-48 US origin tanks.
Then came the 1965 war with India and we faced a US-imposed embargo. For the first time, we faced difficulties in the maintenance of our equipment. Then in post-1965 war period, a large quantity of T-series tanks, T-59s primarily from China, were inducted into the Pakistan Army.
We needed a facility at that point in time to rebuild and maintain those tanks. That is how this concept (of HIT) came into being, which initially was just establishing large workshops able to sustain and maintain the East European technology or Chinese origin tanks here in Pakistan so that we could achieve self-sufficiency.
Why this thought did not come earlier was probably because of the “assured supply” by the west that we had in our minds. Moreover, post-1965 war, there was a national mood of moving towards self-reliance which also propelled this idea. That’s how in 1971, through the collaboration of China, a protocol was formally signed.
GVS: So NORINCO of China became the strategic partner?
Major General Aamer: Actually, it was not known as NORINCO at that point in time. It was Ministry of Machine Building Industry China that later on came to be known as NORINCO Group. With their help, a protocol was signed in July 1971 and by 1979 this heavy rebuild factory was fully established and rolling out the rebuilt T-59 tanks.
Read full article: The HIT: More than just tanks
GVS: General Aamer, can you give us a brief overview of how the Heavy Industries Taxila was conceived in 1971? What were the circumstances? And why not before 1971?
Major General Aamer: First of all, if you recollect the post-independence situation, the equipment with Pakistan Army was western World War 2 vintage. Then we had certain pacts with the United States in 1954 and 1962 through which we were able to have M-47 and M-48 US origin tanks.
Then came the 1965 war with India and we faced a US-imposed embargo. For the first time, we faced difficulties in the maintenance of our equipment. Then in post-1965 war period, a large quantity of T-series tanks, T-59s primarily from China, were inducted into the Pakistan Army.
We needed a facility at that point in time to rebuild and maintain those tanks. That is how this concept (of HIT) came into being, which initially was just establishing large workshops able to sustain and maintain the East European technology or Chinese origin tanks here in Pakistan so that we could achieve self-sufficiency.
Why this thought did not come earlier was probably because of the “assured supply” by the west that we had in our minds. Moreover, post-1965 war, there was a national mood of moving towards self-reliance which also propelled this idea. That’s how in 1971, through the collaboration of China, a protocol was formally signed.
GVS: So NORINCO of China became the strategic partner?
Major General Aamer: Actually, it was not known as NORINCO at that point in time. It was Ministry of Machine Building Industry China that later on came to be known as NORINCO Group. With their help, a protocol was signed in July 1971 and by 1979 this heavy rebuild factory was fully established and rolling out the rebuilt T-59 tanks.
Read full article: The HIT: More than just tanks
