Bilawal calls for Karachi’s inclusion in Pakistan’s defence production push

KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Friday called for a greater role for Karachi in Pakistan’s locally made defence production sector, saying international interest in the country’s military hardware had risen after the May 2025 conflict with India.

Speaking at a ceremony held after the inauguration of Karachi’s Shahrah-e-Bhutto, the former foreign minister said Pakistan was seeing growing demand for defence products manufactured in the country. He said this trend had strengthened following what he described as Pakistan’s victory over India in the four-day war in May 2025.

Bilawal said several countries had shown interest in buying defence equipment from Pakistan, adding that battle-tested systems were preferred internationally. Referring to Karachi’s industrial importance, he said the city should also become part of the country’s defence manufacturing effort.

At the event, he said:

We want Karachi to contribute to Made in Pakistan defence production as well.

Rising interest in Pakistani military equipment

The four-day conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours began on May 7 last year after India launched what was described as an unprovoked attack on Pakistan following an attack on tourists in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

In response, Pakistan downed eight Indian fighter aircraft, including French-made Rafale jets, as well as dozens of drones.

After Islamabad’s military success, countries including Iran, Bangladesh and Libya reportedly expressed interest in acquiring Pakistani military equipment.

In January, Minister for Defence Production Raza Hayat Haraj confirmed the country was in talks with several states over possible agreements for the sale of JF-17 Thunder fighter jets. The report cited The News, which in turn quoted the BBC.

The outcome of the May 2025 war strengthened Pakistan’s standing internationally, with Islamabad emerging as an important mediator between the United States and Iran in efforts aimed at resolving their disputes.

Comments on regional conflict and economy

Bilawal also spoke about the impact of the Middle East conflict, saying its burden was falling on ordinary people who were already facing high electricity and gas bills.

He said peace in the region would help ease economic pressures and warned that a prolonged conflict would worsen the situation.

Bilawal said:

If the war does not end, the economic situation will become more serious.

The war in the Middle East began on February 28 after the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran.

Tehran responded by targeting Israel and US bases across the region, while also effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, which led to a sharp rise in global oil prices.

Bilawal’s remarks linked the regional security situation with domestic economic strain, as he urged an end to the conflict and called for Karachi to be included in Pakistan’s expanding defence production landscape.