Aamna Aamna 
(C)DAWN,pakistan showcases locally produced weapons as ideas 2024 kicks off in karachi
A multinational four-day arms exhibition began on Tuesday in Pakistan’s commercial capital, Karachi, with Turkey as the main participant.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif inaugurated the exhibition in the hope of boosting the country’s defence industry.
Pakistan’s defence industry, he added, is booming, and both the public and private sectors can play a role in further contributing to its growth.
IDEAS 2024, which marks the 12th edition of the show, welcomes exhibitors and delegates from 55 countries, including the United States, Russia, China, Iran, Italy, the United Kingdom and Azerbaijan.
Some 560 defence equipment manufacturers, including 333 internationals, will be showcasing their military and defence products.
Iran and Italy are taking part in the arms fair for the first time.
Pakistan is mainly showcasing its domestically produced Haider main battle tank (MBT) and its new Shahpar III medium-altitude, long-endurance UAV, as well as the Al-Khalid and Al-Zarrar tanks and the latest model of the Super Mushshak aircraft.
Developed as part of a collaboration between Pakistan’s Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) and China’s state-owned NORINCO, the Haider tank was unveiled in March this year.
An important international seminar on Pakistan’s defence production potential – challenges, opportunities and future prospects will also be held on the third day of the exhibition. Leading national and international experts will present their work on the subject, according to a press release.
One of the new features will be the Startup Pavilion set up by the National University of Science and Technology (NUST), the Pakistan Navy Maritime Science and Technology Park and the National Aerospace and Technology Park in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) and the defence sector, with a view to giving international exposure to the country’s young entrepreneurs.
This year, Turkey is the biggest participant in the fair, followed by China, according to the organisers.
Some 75 exhibitors and delegations, making up the largest contingent, are taking part in the event, representing all the major Turkish defence manufacturers, including STM (Savunma Teknolojileri Mühendislik ve Ticaret A.S), Roketsan, Meteksan, ASFAT, Makine ve Kimya Endüstrisi, Tualcom and Havelsan.
In 2022, 28 Turkish defence equipment manufacturers presented their innovations at the fair.
