ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will bring two new industrial plants at the country’s largest defense industrial complex into production by the end of the year as part of efforts to expand indigenous defense manufacturing and exports, the military said on Saturday after army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir visited the facility.

The Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF) in Wah produce weapons and ammunition for Pakistan’s armed forces, as Islamabad seeks to capitalize on growing international interest in its military hardware.

Munir reviewed POF’s production capabilities, export potential and contribution to Pakistan’s defense industrial base during the visit, according to the military.

“The visit underscored the military’s commitment to advancing self-reliance, indigenous production and technological innovation in Pakistan’s defense sector,” the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said in a statement.

Munir, who also serves as Pakistan’s chief of defense forces, was briefed on the new plants, which the military said were part of ongoing efforts to indigenize and upgrade the country’s defense production capabilities. It did not say what the plants would manufacture or disclose their production capacity.

The expansion comes amid a broader Pakistani drive to increase domestic weapons production and exports, with Islamabad reporting increased international interest in locally produced military hardware ranging from ammunition and drones to training aircraft and fighter jets.

Reuters reported in January that Pakistan was in talks with 13 countries over potential defense deals, with negotiations involving six to eight of them at an advanced stage. The discussions covered JF-17 fighter jets jointly produced by Pakistan and China, Mushshak training aircraft, Pakistani-made drones, air defense systems and armored vehicles.

During Saturday’s visit, Munir was also briefed on POF’s corporatization following the establishment this year of the Defense Industrial Production and Regulatory Authority (DIPRA), a new body aimed at restructuring Pakistan’s defense production sector and increasing private-sector participation.

The DIPRA ordinance, promulgated in June, brings state-owned defense establishments and private manufacturers under a new regulatory framework as Pakistan seeks to turn its defense industry into a bigger source of exports.

Munir also witnessed tests and trials of locally designed and manufactured arms and ammunition during the visit, ISPR said.