IDEAS in purview

Pakistan these days is showcasing its defence entrepreneurship. The 11^th edition of IDEAS 2022, International Defence Exhibition and Seminar, is a feather in the cap for the country’s quest for self-reliance in technology, and its endeavour to compete with the regional and global competitors in the arenas of gadgets and inventions dealing with security. It has done superbly well in making a place for its defence production by sticking to quality, reliability and scientific innovation in tune with the best from the world of armour.

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who inaugurated the four-day exhibition on Tuesday, was apt as he underscored the need for public-private partnership so that exporting high-defence products becomes a hallmark of national pride. More than 300 exhibitors from 32 countries have come down to Karachi with their latest produce, and it hoped that around 500 delegates from region and beyond will be evincing their interest in it.

It is worth-pondering that while Pakistan is exporting defence products to more than 60 countries, it has not yet been able to make a mark by making this industry its currency. The reason is not that it is lacking in superiority or competitiveness, rather the irresistible fact that the volume of exports is not commensurate with the country’s actual potential. This is a moment of serious introspection in an age of geo-economics where geographical realities are remolding strategic relevance. Thus, the foreign minister’s stress on buoying the private sector’s role and proactive involvement of academia is worth a thought.

Pakistan with a rich human resource and untapped mineral base, sitting at the crossroads of connectivity, has every reason to eulogise its scientific inventions and sell them as a cash product in times of economic turmoil. It also comes with the right opportunity to excel in defence-related amalgamations by broadening the mosaic of self-confidence. While this industry is manned and endorsed by one of the best professional armies in the world, as well as a responsible nuclear power, it blesses it with the due credentials to compete and reclaim space in defence high-tech markets of the world.

It’s high to invest in the knowledge industry and raise the industrial bar to new excellence. And this is what IDEAS is all about to enter into the new milieu as a developed state with a sophisticated know-how and production in security armaments.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 17^th, 2022.

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