KARACHI: A large number of foreigners and local visitors converged at Expo Centre in Karachi on Thursday to participate in what is being touted as Pakistan’s largest display of international and locally-manufactured military hardware and software under one platform.
The event, which began on Tuesday and is in its 10th year, ends tomorrow.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Pervaiz Khattak said that Pakistan will benefit from the International Defense Exhibition and Seminar (IDEAS) by attracting millions of dollars’ worth of export orders.
“The products which Pakistan was importing in the past is not only being produced [locally], but we are entertaining orders for exports too,” Khattak said.
Military officials from various countries, including Saudi Arabia, Italy, Jordan, Poland, Sri Lanka, and Turkey, visited the exhibition. Major General Ahmed Al Muqrin, Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Chief of Army alsovisited IDEAS where he was briefed by Pakistani officials about the military equipment displayed on site.
During the course of the exhibition, various dignitaries called on the Vice Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Kaleem Shaukat. Prominent among them were Commander Royal Jordanian Naval Forces, Brigadier General Ibrahim Salman Al Naimat; Deputy Director & Secretary General of Defence & National Armament (Italy), Admiral Dario Giacomin; DG Admin Sri Lankan Navy Rear Admiral KG Paul; and a coterie of other officials.
During the meetings, matters related to defense collaboration -- including joint development of platforms, equipment and sensors, and training exchange programs in diverse fields were also discussed.
Lieutenant Colonel Ali Razzaq, Commanding Officer 760 CTE, Frontier Works Organization (FWO) -- which is a military engineering organization -- told Arab News that the organization was actively engaged in the building of various national megaprojects. “The FWO is actively playing its role in the construction of more than 1,000 kilometers of road infrastructure under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC),” he said.
Pakistan has also introduced highly-proficient surveillance drones, namely the Shahpur and the Burraq, which turned out to be a major attraction for the visitors. While Shahpur is capable of flying at an altitude of 17,000 feet for up to seven hours, the Burraq can fly at an altitude of 16,000 feet for up to 10 hours. Equipped with multi-camera functions, the Shahpur can monitor across a radius of 250 kilometers, while the army has found the Burraq to be an effective weapon during operations against the terrorists since 2015.
The exhibition was inaugurated by the Pakistan President Dr Arif Alvi on Tuesday and is being attended by 262 high-level delegations from 51 different countries.
