DARA ADAM KHEL: It’s all guns and no roses for the shop owners of the weapons market that lines the bazaar in the dusty hamlet of Dara Adam Khel.
Inhabited by the Afridi tribe, the market has become the core identity of Dara Adam Khel — an area located between Kohat and Peshawar to the south of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
On any given day, it is packed with traders and merchants who have gained recognition for the quality and range of their guns and ammunition, with a number of tribesmen starting their businesses from scratch and soldiering on to become millionaires.
During an extensive range of interviews, where they spoke exclusively to Arab News, a majority shied away from taking credit for their craft, reasoning that they were only paying homage to skills passed on by their ancestors by taking the business forward.
Dating back to the pre-independence era of Pakistan, ancestors of these tribesmen — during their armed expedition in large swathes of Asia — learned the skills, passing it on to the future generations who developed it into a full-fledged arms industry in the Khyber tribal region.
Today, 40,000 to 50,000 residents of the area – with a total population of 110,000 — are directly associated with the industry, with every second owner saying that he inherited the business from his ancestors.
Quoting his great-grandfather, Kamran Afridi, a leading arms dealer from the area, said that members from the tribe used to form a Lashkar (armed resistance group) to fight the British imperial powers in parts of the Federally Administered Tribal Area, prior to 1947.
“There were times when tribal elders sent armed expeditions to parts of the sub-continent while the British forces used to come here to invade. Those types of armed clashes led them to learn ordnance and weapon-making skills, primarily from the Britishers. Then, our forefathers started replicating those skills when they would return from missions abroad,” Kamran said.
He added that while initially, it was a very tedious and slow-moving process to repair and manufacture small guns at their residential quarters or hujras; in time, his predecessors learned to develop their skills and eventually set up shops, hiring experienced and untrained laborers.
Later in the 50s, a few gunsmiths arrived from Punjab who were technically-trained in the craft and demonstrated comparatively-advanced methods of repairing and polishing second-hand weapons.
“Currently, according to my assessment, 6,000- 7,000 skilled laborers such as gunsmiths and professional manufacturers with technical expertise are involved in the arms hardware and ammunition-making process,” Kamran said, adding that, today, craftsmen from the market boast an incomparable expertise by being adept at assembling any type of weapon, on demand, with the help of a mere sketch.
The most popular items on sale include the 9-MM, 30-Bore guns, Repeaters, Kalashnikov and M-16 rifles. However, the industry prefers to manufacture non-prohibited weapons specifically for license holders, he said.
And while all the weapons are locally made, some hardware parts — such as springs and other items – are either sourced from Afghanistan or imported from western countries. However, according to Kamran, the biggest problem faced by the industry today is a questionable power supply and the government’s lack of commitment to regularize the market.
“The authorities never extend support to develop the industry. Rather, the recent military operations against militants in parts of the Khyber tribal district have dealt a severe blow to the business because of restrictions on the movement of people,” he said, suggesting that the government should instead introduce innovative measures to develop the market in the larger interest of the country.
“The weapons market can help bolster foreign exchange if the government helps improve its quality by introducing standard materials,” he added.
He reminisces a time, back in 2007, when former dictator Pervez Musharraf had approved Rs 50 million in funds to establish the Pakistan Hunting and Sporting Association, which was primarily aimed at modernizing the Dara Adam Khel weapons industry. That initiative, however, fizzled out due to political wrangling and bureaucratic red tape.
Last week, the federal government hinted at the possibility of allocating nearly 150 acres of land for the construction of an industrial zone catering to the weapons market, in the Mattani area of Peshawar, located near Dara Adam Khel. If the plans see the light of day, it would take two years to set up the infrastructure in the area.
Kamran said that the government has yet to kickstart the implementation process, even as the arms industry continues to irk residents of the area who complain of potential buyers randomly firing guns in the area due to the absence of a designated testing zone; and the lack of a proper sewerage system to drain chemicals and other wastes from the industry.
He added that while it will be a step in the right direction to designate an area specifically for the weapons industry, the move would also have far-reaching and negative consequences on small businesses.
That, however, does not seem to be a cause for concern for several gunsmiths who said that while they were working as unskilled laborers earlier, they have now gone on to become tycoons in the field.
One such rags-to-riches story is that of Muzaffar Khan Afridi who recalls a time in 1993 when he was working as a daily-wage gunsmith at arms and ammunition depot in Dara Adam Khel. “Today I have 30 gunsmiths working at my two ammunition stores,” he said.
Citing a lack of choice in terms of earning a livelihood in this impoverished part of the country, several said they had no other skills to teach their children and would be at the receiving end of the deal if small businesses were moved to the proposed industrial zone. “I have 17 members in my family and my business is the sole source of income,” Muzaffar said.
Samiullah Afridi, another weapons and ammunition dealer, thanked his great-grandfather for starting the family business from a hujra, which was eventually expanded to four stores in the market today. “According to a ballpark estimate, Dara Adam Khel has around 2,000- 3,000 arms depot and shops,” he added.
Throwing light on the intricacies involved in the arms-making process, Samiullah said that the metal and steel being used in the manufacturing of the weapons is recycled to improve its quality, standard and resistance power.
It’s a tedious process and involves days of hard work which begins by molding rigid steel — by tampering and designing it — to absorb massive and repeated shocks. The steel used by gun manufacturers in the US has an aluminum grading of 70-75, while the material used in Dara Adam Khel is for smaller guns and ranges between 40 to 45.
Highlighting the economic situation of the country, Samiullah said that while there continues to be a lack of employment opportunities across Pakistan, the weapons industry thrived dramatically due to an influx of educated youth who set up their own businesses in the market.
With the arrival of a more-informed generation of gun manufacturers who introduced innovative ideas, the industry was able to produce automatic rifles such as 9-MM, 30-Bore, 44, 223, 222, 32 and 12-Bore pistols, M-16, Kalakov, 7-MM, 8-MM, revolver, Makarov pistol and other brands of weapons.
He added that the government would no longer have to import small weapons if it allowed the import of small hardware items — such as steel and aluminum used in Brazil, Spain, USA, Turkey, and Russia – instead. This would help the industry produce locally-made weapons.
Secondly, the local weapons industry lacks a computerized system to check the standard, quality and resistance of steel. Despite all these deterrents, the most expensive gun manufactured locally is the M-16 also known as 223, which costs Rs 130,000.
Samiullah said that locally-made guns help small dealers – who operate from home — as all members of the family can assist each other, thereby saving their hard-earned money on rent, electricity and other amenities which otherwise they would have to spend toward the upkeep of a shop.
“We can produce excellent weapons to compete with the global market if the government regularizes the industry and offers incentives such as an uninterrupted power supply and legal cover,” Samiullah said.
Kamran concurs, adding that weapons manufactured in Dara Adam Khel are of a superior quality and can be exported to foreign countries only “if the government earnestly focuses on helping develop the industry.”
Dara Adam Khel’s weapons industry guns for greatness
Dara Adam Khel’s weapons industry guns for greatness
- Relocating market would have an adverse impact on small businesses, owners say
- Thriving manufactory took decades to develop and put Pakistan on the world map
Pakistani forces kill 11 militants in restive northwest amid surge in attacks
- The militants were killed in separate engagements in Tank, North Waziristan and Mohmand districts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province
- Pakistan has blamed a surge in militancy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on militants operating out of Afghanistan, Kabul denies the allegation
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani security forces have killed 11 militants in separate operations in the country’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, the Pakistani military said on Wednesday, amid a surge in attacks in the region.
Seven militants were killed during an exchange of fire in an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in KP’s Tank district, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing.
Two militants were killed in an encounter in North Waziristan district, while a third operation in Mohmand district killed two more militants, following an intense exchange of fire.
“Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from killed khwarij [militants], who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against the security forces as well as innocent civilians,” the ISPR said in a statement late Wednesday.
“Sanitization operations are being carried out to eliminate any other Kharji found in the area.”
Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which borders Afghanistan, has witnessed a number of attacks by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant groups that targeted security forces convoys and check posts, besides targeted killings and kidnappings of law enforcers and government officials in recent months.
Earlier this month, six Pakistani soldiers and 22 militants were killed in three separate gunfights in Tank, North Waziristan and Kurram districts of KP, according to the military.
Pakistan has frequently accused neighboring Afghanistan of sheltering and supporting militant groups, urging the Taliban administration in Kabul to prevent its territory from being used by armed factions to launch cross-border attacks.
Afghan officials, however, deny involvement, insisting Pakistan’s security issues are an internal matter of Islamabad.
In ‘hope’ ambulances with women drivers in Pakistan’s Sanghar district
- Sindh Integrated Emergency & Health Services employed the province’s first two women ambulance drivers in June
- Employing women is a bold move by SIEHS in a conservative province where women are often denied the most basic rights
SANGHAR, Sindh: Irum Jatt’s hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as the ambulance she was driving zipped through the roads of the southern Pakistani city of Sanghar earlier this month, sirens blaring to warn other cars and pedestrians to move out of the way.
While a woman driving an ambulance is no anomaly in cities like London or New York, in this remote, conservative town in Sindh province, Jatt, 21 and another colleague Shereen Shah, 22, made history in June when they were hired as the first women ambulance drivers for the Sindh Integrated Emergency & Health Services (SIEHS), a semi-governmental organization operating around 283 “HOPE” ambulances across the province.
Established in 2021, SIEHS employs 750 Emergency Vehicle Operators (EVOs) and launched operations in Sanghar in October 2023 with three ambulances.
In conservative and patriarchal Pakistan, where the right to education, employment and even voting is sometimes not extended to women, employing female ambulance drivers was a bold move by SIEHS and one that has not even been experimented with in large urban centers of the province such as Karachi and Hyderabad. Women in Sindh in general also face many challenges such as discrimination, violence, and limited access to health, education and job opportunities.
“Many people believed that it wasn’t possible,” Jatt told Arab News in an interview as she drove on a road in main Sanghar city.
“But there’s something within a person, a passion that drives them to do something. I felt the same, I wanted to do it, I wanted to drive an ambulance.”
Jatt, an intermediate degree graduate, saw the job opening for an ambulance driver on social media and applied, having to go through several rounds of tests before her selection.
“On the road, it’s common for people to stare when they see a woman driving,” Jatt said.
“Many people don’t give way. While leaving our Sanghar city, motorcyclists don’t give way, and we have to face all of that.”
Negative stereotypes and biases, including that women were bad drivers or drove slowly, also made the job harder, she said.
“Some good people get it but there are communities that don’t understand and say things like, ‘You arrived late,’ or ‘You deliberately delayed’. Some might even think, ‘Because it was a woman driving, it took longer’.”
Mumtaz Ali Pirzada, the district manager at the SIEHS, acknowledged the initial resistance by the community to the women ambulance drivers.
“When we first inducted female drivers in Sanghar, and we did and in the future also we will do it, there was significant backlash on social media, most people asked how can a woman drive an ambulance,” he said.
“But we have broken that stereotype. These women have broken it because they are doing all these things and doing them with a lot of hard work.”
According to Pirzada, Shah and Jatt often outperformed their male counterparts.
“But their success isn’t due to sympathy or special treatment, it’s purely their hard work and skills,” he added. “They even handle tasks like changing tires, including the heavy tires of ambulances, which challenges the traditional mindset that only men can manage such tasks.”
Shereen Shah, another women ambulance driver from Sanghar, said the response from the community was improving.
“When we first started working here, people were shocked to see women driving ambulances, they thought we wouldn’t be able to handle it, that we might hit something,” she told Arab News as she stood by her vehicle.
“But now, wherever we go, if the traffic police sees us, they salute us and the Sindh police also salute us. They feel proud of us.”
She said it was “so fulfilling” to be able to rescue people from road accidents and other emergencies and deliver them to medical facilities in a timely manner.
“A few years ago, women rarely stepped out of their homes in this city,” she said. “But today, women are driving vehicles here and that’s a matter of pride for Sanghar.”
UN adopts Pakistan-sponsored resolution on self-determination, highlighting Palestinian plight
- Pakistan has annually tabled the resolution for over four decades to highlight the struggles of oppressed people
- The resolution addresses the situation in Indian-administered Kashmir, challenges colonial and foreign occupation
ISLAMABAD: The United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted a Pakistan-sponsored resolution reaffirming the universal right to self-determination, said the foreign office on Wednesday, with a focus on people living under foreign occupation, including in Palestine and Indian-administered Kashmir.
Pakistan has annually tabled this resolution for over four decades to highlight the struggles of people denied self-determination under colonial domination or foreign subjugation.
“The unanimous adoption of this resolution reflects the collective will of UN member states and strengthens the principle of self-determination, as enshrined in international law, including the UN Charter and the International Covenants on Civil and Political Rights, and Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,” the foreign office said.
“The resolution highlights the plight of people in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Palestine, reinforcing international support for their legitimate aspirations for self-determination,” it added.
Adopted by consensus, the resolution was supported and co-sponsored by a large number of countries from different regions around the world.
It underscores the inalienable right of all peoples to self-determination as essential for advancing human rights globally, sending a message of solidarity to populations struggling against foreign occupation, while calling for an end to intervention and aggression.
The foreign office said the adoption of the resolution demonstrated Pakistan’s leadership in advocating for the rights of oppressed peoples and maintaining the principle of self-determination as a cornerstone of international justice and peace.
Islamabad decries ‘double standards’ as US imposes more sanctions on Pakistan missile program
- The State Department says the measures target ‘proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery’
- Islamabad says the latest sanctions defy the ‘objective of peace and security by aiming to accentuate military asymmetries’
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign ministry on Thursday criticized the United States (US) for imposing more sanctions on the South Asian country’s missile program, saying it reflected “double standards and discriminatory practices.”
The statement came hours after US said it was imposing new sanctions related to nuclear-armed Pakistan’s long-range ballistic-missile program, including on the state-owned defense agency that oversees the program. The sanctions freeze any US property belonging to the targeted entities and bars Americans from doing business with them.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement that the measures slapped on the National Development Complex and three firms were imposed under an executive order that “targets proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery.”
In its reaction to the development, the Pakistani foreign ministry said the US decision was “unfortunate and biased” and that Pakistan’s strategic capabilities were meant to defend its sovereignty and preserve peace and stability in South Asia, regretting the imposition of sanctions on private commercial entities too.
“Similar listings of commercial entities in the past were based on mere doubts and suspicion without any evidence whatsoever. While claiming strict adherence to non-proliferation norms, licensing requirement for advanced military technology to other countries have been waived off in the past,” it said in a statement.
“Such double standards and discriminatory practices not only undermine the credibility of non-proliferation regimes but also endanger regional and international peace and security.”
A State Department factsheet said the Islamabad-based NDC had sought to obtain components for the country’s long-range ballistic-missile program and missile-testing equipment. It said the NDC “is responsible for the development of Pakistan’s ballistic missiles,” including the Shaheen family of missiles.
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists research organization says the Shaheen series of missiles is nuclear-capable. Pakistan conducted its first nuclear-weapons test in 1998, becoming the seventh country to do so. The Bulletin estimates Pakistan’s arsenal at about 170 warheads.
Islamabad has refused to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty, the cornerstone of the international system designed to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.
The other entities slapped with sanctions were Affiliates International, Akhtar and Sons Private Limited and Rockside Enterprise, all located in Karachi, the factsheet said. It said the companies worked with the NDC to acquire equipment.
“The United States will continue to act against proliferation and associated procurement activities of concern,” Miller said.
The Pakistani foreign ministry said the latest installment of sanctions defied the “objective of peace and security by aiming to accentuate military asymmetries,” an apparent reference to Pakistan’s rivalry with nuclear-armed India.
“Such policies have dangerous implications for strategic stability of our region and beyond,” it said.
Pakistan completes survey of special economic zones to attract Chinese industries, foreign investment
- The survey included aerial assessments to identify resources and challenges of SEZs across the country
- The government plans to adopt environmentally sustainable practices to run these industrial zones
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has completed a survey of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) as part of efforts to facilitate the relocation of Chinese firms and make these zones suitable for international businesses, Federal Minister for Investment Abdul Aleem Khan said on Wednesday.
The government aims to attract foreign investment from friendly nations, including China and Gulf countries, and established the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), a hybrid civil-military body, last year to eliminate bureaucratic hurdles and provide a one-window operation for foreign businesses.
The survey, which included aerial assessments using drone technology, identified the resources and challenges of SEZs across the country.
“These zones will incorporate special measures to facilitate the relocation of Chinese industries,” the investment minister was quoted as saying in an official statement, though he added the country would also welcome investments from other countries.
Officials in Islamabad and Beijing launched the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which initially focused on energy and infrastructure projects but now plans to transition into the next phase with an aim to boost industrial production and exports.
Earlier this year, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif undertook a five-day visit to China, where he met representatives of leading Chinese businesses and urged them to invest in Pakistan and relocate their operations to SEZs.
The development came as Pakistan recovers from a prolonged economic crisis with external financing, while the government acknowledges the need to enhance industrial and agricultural output and exports through increased international investment.
Khan directed Pakistani embassies to engage foreign investors actively and asked relevant officials to establish a “Pride of Pakistan” group for key international stakeholders.
He said the government aimed to introduce about 150 reforms to enhance SEZ operations and improve their overall efficiency.
The steps would include environmentally sustainable practices under the “Green Pakistan Investment” model, focusing on eco-friendly infrastructure, renewable energy and sustainability measures to attract global investors.
Specific zones, such as Karachi’s industrial hub, will be linked to Port Qasim with enhanced infrastructure and facilities.
The minister and other officials also discussed the construction of a business facilitation center in a meeting and reviewed the “Ease of Doing Business Act 2024,” which aims to streamline investment processes further.
