Pakistan could not make any headway in acquisition of drone technology, as no country was willing to share the sophisticated technology with developing countries, the Senate was told on Wednesday.
Currently, indigenous development capacity does not exist in Pakistan. However, Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, Kamra is presently engaged in co-production of unarmed FALCO (UAV) in collaboration with M/s Selex Galileo (SG) of Italy. As a first phase, eight UAV were assembled and handed over to PAF for operational use, Minister for Defence Production, Chuadhry Pervez Elahi informed the Senate in a written reply during the question hour.
As the PIA is sinking gradually, the management continued making frequent appointments in the corporation, some of them in sheer violation of the prescribed rules. Defence Minister Chuadhry Ahmad Mukhtar informed the house in a written reply that PIA made a total of 2,171 appointments on regular and contract basis during between 2008 to July 2011, including 1,854 regular and 317 on contract.
Twelve individuals from Pay Group-II to Pay Group-X were inducted in PIA during the tenure of former managing director Aijaz Haroon by dispensing the requirement of advertisement, qualification, height, weight and upper age relaxation in violation of government rules in vogue.
However, these appointments were authenticated by the PIAC Board. He further informed that there were 155 employees in PIA who were getting Rs 500,000 or above as monthly salary, including other allowances and fringe benefits.
Minister for Railways Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour said 275 retired persons in BS-01 to BS-16 were appointed in Pakistan Railways in the last three years.
Similarly, 13 officers in BS-17 and above were appointed in Pakistan Railways during the last three years. Minister for Narcotics control Haji Khuda Bux Rajar informed the house in a written reply that 31 people were appointed in the ministry since January 2010.
