I am smelling a lot of pessimism in the air in context of progress on Azm. Just to put things back in prespective, let's revisit what PAF said when the project was launched.
"PAC Kamra, established back in 1971 as a repair and overhaul facility for imported aircraft and later under-license production of aircraft and avionics systems. Even though it has grown in size to cater for more types and number of platforms, including ground radars, PAC still remains dependant on foreign OEMs due to lack of in-house design and development capability. This severely limits its capability to independently support PAF operations and have any worthwhile global presence.
Air Staff vision of Aviation City Kamra is all about changing this paradigm by establishing design and development institutes and bringing in academic institutes for creating a sustainable R&D ecosystem that will enable the Pakistani aviation industry to provide indigenous solutions to PAF, sister services and civil aviation, and facilitating it to become a global player.
The office of DG AvRID (Director General Aviation Research Innovation & Development) has been established to transform into reality the Air Staff vision as stated above, with the long term goal of developing our own fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA). Development of FGFA would be a major national program that would entail massive amount of work; not all of which may possibly be carried out within PAC, or even within Pakistan. Such large scale development requires synergetic efforts from a number of industrial (public & private) and academic organizations to fulfill the enormous task. These efforts by themselves will enable development of technologies that will find applications in a number of other systems. The guiding motto will be “cooperation within, competition outside”.
https://www.pac.org.pk/avrid-introduction
1. Blue Text:Realization by PAF about where PAC is standing.
2. Red Text: Challenge/Mission. Again PAF is cognizant about the scale of this challenge and it is openly stated that not all the work will be possible in Pakistan (even if we combined all naitional efforts). And this is reality every one knows.
3. Green Text: If AZM gets treatment similar to our nuclear/ missile program, I see hope and for us that's the only way forward to keep it running, away from red-tapes while seeking/taking help from wherever and whenever possible and to make that happen biggest asset will be unconditional political will.
We are far from perfect as society but we are not without good people if they are allowed to perform. We have shown the world. As for Flight Control System, it is my understanding that PAC has realized from very onset that creating human resource and knowledge base for such complex system lies in that areas which has been identified beyond the possibility within PAC, or even within Pakistan, So they have decided to develop human resources and expertise in other areas and seek foreign cooperation in FCS. Establishment of an entire university campus within Aviation City, is an indication that PAC has realized that HEC universities may fail in producing required number of graduates in specific disciplines. Even if everything goes as per planned, things are going to take time. Remember, it is a long term program. Government must include it in Strategic project for national security and I am certain, One way or other, this endeavor will bare fruit one day, IA. Will we all be able to witness that day, Only ALMIGHTY knows!