Weapons for peace

As I entered the Karachi Expo Centre to attend the International Defence Exhibition And Seminar – IDEAS 2024, I felt as if I had arrived at a battlefield on the border, surrounded by giant warships, drones, heavy tanks, guns, automatic weapons and other defence equipment.

The stalls were set up in a very impressive manner. There were crackles of bullets, the roars of the warplanes, and the national songs from different stalls. On this occasion, I was informed that delegates from 53 countries, including the US, Russia, China, Turkiye, the UK, and Azerbaijan, are present at the Expo Center to participate in the exhibition; around 36 countries have set up arms stalls, out of which 17 countries, such as Iran and Italy, are participating in the exhibition for the first time. More than 550 exhibitors are foreigners, which is undeniable proof of the full confidence of the international community in Pakistan's defence industry. COAS Gen Syed Asim Munir along with other defense top officials, international delegates and diplomats also visited during the four-day mega event.

The stall of Heavy Industries Taxila caught my attention at first glance. Undoubtedly, the contributions of Heavy Industries Taxila need no introduction in the defence production industry. The Haider Main Battle Tank (MBT), developed locally in collaboration with China, is a Third Generation Plus tank that is being incorporated with modern state-of-the-art technologies. Similarly, Al-Zarar, Talha and Al-Khalid series tanks are also world-recognised names due to their potent war machine abilities. That’s why, I was glad when the name of Heavy Industries Taxila was called for receiving the award for best stall, while Turkiye and China won for international categories.

A prominent feature of this year's Ideas Expo was the unveiling of a state-of-the-art unmanned warship developed by Pakistani defence experts. It is capable of carrying a wide range of munitions including bombs, missiles and torpedoes. When the Pakistan-made drone Shahpar flew, all the participants started giving spontaneous applause.

On the occasion of IDEAS, the new flagship store of Pakistan Ordnance Factories, located at the DHA Islamabad, was also inaugurated. Besides, many other Pakistan-made war equipment were also the centre of attention of foreign delegates during the exhibition. During the seminar on 'Pakistan Defence Production Potential – Challenges, Opportunities, and Way Forward', a variety of topics including counterterrorism, maritime security, and cyber threats were also discussed.

During my visit, I recalled some memories of 24 years ago, when Gen Pervez Musharraf had introduced the one-of-a-kind global defence exhibition called IDEAS 2000. The first exhibition, held in November 2000, managed to attract global attention, with large numbers of people desiring to attend the event and the defence equipment exhibited at the exhibition received extensive media coverage. This year's Defence Exhibition was the 12th exhibition of the IDEAS series and I have had the honour of participating in all the past exhibitions as well.

Today, the four-day IDEAS expo is not only limited to exhibitions but also marine drills, counterterrorism drills, free-fall jumps, aerial stunts and joint defence exercises with friendly countries were also part of the mega event. The outstanding performance by the cultural troupe under the theme 'I am Pakistan' was highly appreciated by the foreign ambassadors, delegates and participants.

I believe that the IDEAS Expo reflects the great military capabilities of the Pakistan Army, as well as helps to promote defence diplomacy with friendly countries through the effective showcase of Pakistan-made defence products. During the event, 82 agreements were signed with friendly countries to export defence products and war equipment worth $30 billion.

Undoubtedly, the successful holding of the Ideas Exhibition has not only highlighted the invincible, strong and peaceful image of Pakistan but has also sent a clear message that our brave armed forces equipped with modern defence technology and professional capabilities are on alert to safeguard the borders of our beloved motherland.

The writer is a member of the National Assembly and patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council.

He tweets/posts @RVankwani