ISLAMABAD - Pakistan has been selling weapons to many countries of the world including United States and Britain.
Minister for Defence Production, Rana Tanveer Hussain, while answering questions in the National Assembly session, said that during 2013, UK bought 69 Pakistan-made sub-machine guns (SMG MP5) and 250 G-3 rifles.
Hussain was responding to the question of lawmaker Shams Un Nisa, who asked the total quantity of arms sold to other countries during the last three years. Hussain giving per year details of the arms transactions said that USA bought 371 G-3 rifles, during 2013, while it bought 520 SMGs during 2014, along with 350 SMGs. US also bought 185 SMGs during the previous year.
Kenya bought 3000 G3 rifles during 2014, and 600 same combat rifles during previous year. Luxembourg remained the major buyer of Pakistani rifles. During 2015, Luxembourg bought 3000 G3 rifles.
Presently, deals of supplying 65 SMGs to US, while 200 machine guns to Saudi Arabia are in progress, the minister told the law makers.
According to Pakistani arm manufacturing facility officials Pakistan has been selling weapons to many countries and earning foreign exchange. Pakistan has been manufacturing and selling weapons to over 40 countries, bringing in $20 million annually, the chairman of the Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF) told media on November 28, 2014.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Pakistan was the 5th largest arms importer in the world during 2010-14, clinching 4 percent of the total global share. India remained the largest importer, while Saudi Arabia ranked second, China third and UAE was the fourth importer of arms.
In exporter category, USA dominated the international market during 2010-14, with 31 percent global shares, while Russia stood second, with 27 percent market shares. According to the think tank ratings, China was the third largest exporter of the arms.