4-day defense fair begins in Pakistan

A four-day defense exhibition gathering over 500 international defense manufacturers began in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi on Tuesday.

The biennial event called "IDEAS 2022," a leading defense expo in South Asia, is being held after a gap of four years as the 2020 fair could not take place due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Aside from the international and local exhibitors, some 264 delegates from 64 countries are participating in the much-publicized fair, according to Maj. Gen. Mohammad Arif Malik, the head of the country's Defense Exports Promotion Bureau.

Apart from some 28 Turkish companies, defense manufacturers from China, the U.S., the UK, European Union, the Middle East, Central Asia, and Africa are showcasing their products at the 11th edition of the fair.

Russia, which had been exhibiting its defense products since 2002, is not doing that this time, however, a "high-level" delegation is representing Moscow at the event.

An air show will also be held on Nov. 17 along the Arabian Sea.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the exhibition will provide an opportunity for global private and public defense manufacturers to showcase their products and increase their defense exports.

Welcoming several countries that are participating in the fair for the first time, Bilawal observed that a growing public-private collaboration in the defense sector along with an industrial linkage will help the global community in meeting future security challenges together.

He said his country is committed to working with the international community to ensure sustainable peace and stability not only in the region but globally.

Islamabad's top diplomat did not miss the opportunity to raise the Kashmir dispute with arch-rival India, saying the resolution of the longstanding issue is a "must" for durable peace and sustainability in the region.

Together with Islamabad's longtime strategic ally China, Türkiye has the largest representation in the fair with top Turkish defense companies, including the state-run STM and ASFAT, showcasing their products ranging from military hardware to modern drones to tactical mini-UAV systems and to cyber security solutions.