Pak defence industry at peak of quality, reliability: Bilawal

KARACHI: Pakistan’s 11th edition IDEAS 2022 commenced at the Karachi Expo Centre on Tuesday after a grand inauguration ceremony by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who was the chief guest during the occasion.

The International Defence Exhibition and Seminar (IDEAS) is a mega-regional event; biennially organised by Defence Export Promotion Organization (DEPO) in Pakistan. Since its inception in the year 2000, IDEAS has emerged as an international rendezvous for defence manufacturers, entrepreneurs, R&D specialists, financial experts and top-level policymakers to promote cooperation, knowledge sharing and support ventures in the field of defence collaboration. IDEAS is an event that brings together the global defence industry for synergistic businesses and cooperation.

During his inaugural address, the foreign minister said that Pakistan today offers enormous opportunities for profitable investments, joint ventures and trade in all sectors, including the defence industry. In his regard, IDEAS serves as a regional gateway for international manufacturers and suppliers to explore new avenues of defence cooperation through joint ventures, outsourcing and collaboration.

He said technologies are playing a vital role in confronting modern-day security challenges, and their responsible use can make the world a better and safer place. Pakistan being a responsible state is always committed to playing its role in international peace, stability and order. Reciprocity, mutual interests and international norms are the guiding principles that govern Pakistan’s relations at the bilateral and multilateral levels. He said the Government of Pakistan always believes in meaningful dialogue on the basis of equality not only to resolve bilateral issues but also to a give chance for peace and harmony in the region. At our end, we in collaboration with our partners are steadfast to this unflinching commitment to peace and stability in the world. He said that Pakistan’s defence industry has now reached the peak of quality and reliability wherein its products are competing in the international defence market. However, to further excel in this domain there is a need for an academia-industry interface, integration of the public-private defence industry and involvement of R&D organisations in the defence manufacturing sector of Pakistan. Muhammad Israr Tareen, Federal Minister for Defence Production, while addressing the gathering, said Pakistan has the potential to emerge as a global platform for defence research, scientific growth, manufacturing and joint ventures, in order to strengthen our defence capabilities and spur developments as well as exports in this sector.Towards this, the Ministry of Defence Production (MoDP) is continuing to evolve clear priorities and approaches for protecting and defending Pakistan’s defence industry interests at home and abroad.

Today we are reliable export partners of more than 60 countries, he said. Earlier, during his welcome address, Major General Muhammad Arif Malik, DG DEPO, welcomed the visiting delegates, foreign and domestic exhibitors, OEMs, trade visitors and participants of IDEAS 2022. The foreign minister during the visit to exhibition halls inaugurated new inventions of Pakistan defence industry and appreciated the defence products of participating countries and OEMs. The IDEAS 2022 has surpassed all previous milestones in terms of space, booking, exhibitors and delegates both domestic and foreign. The Karachi Expo Centre has been booked to its full capacity with more than 500 exhibitors from Turkey, China, North America, South America, Europe, Asia and the Far East. Some 60 percent are international and 40 percent local. Besides trade visitors, more than 285 high-level delegates from 64 countries are visiting the exhibition. Badar Expo Solutions are the event manager for IDEAS 2022. The exhibition will continue till 18 November 2022.