By Mustansar Klasra
The chronicles of IDEAS series is one of the continued successes, with IDEAS-2022 as the most consequential in history of the exhibition industry of Pakistan. International Defence Exhibition and Seminar is a defence exhibition, organized by Defence Export Promotion Organization (DEPO), Ministry of Defence Production, Pakistan.
IDEAS 2022, being the most strategically important event of the region, once again brought together all the industry’s players across the globe to showcase latest technological innovations. The 4 days of exhibition were exclusively for trade visitors and high official defence delegates including participants from Academia.11th Edition of International Defence Exhibition and Seminar, IDEAS 2022 was scheduled from 15th – 18th November 2022 at Karachi Expo Centre (KEC).
The event was significantly commemorated through enhanced participation of Pakistan Armed Forces, national and international defence industry, entrepreneurs, and high level national and international defence delegations. The new features were aimed to make IDEAS an effective platform for defence Buyers and Sellers.
Keeping in view of the significant role in protecting sea lines of communication. Pakistan Navy also established its pavilion is IDEAS 2022 exhibition in Karachi Expo Centre. The Pavilion of Pakistan Navy was visited by numerous defence delegates, entrepreneurs and academia where they were briefed by Naval officers of the Pakistan Navy pavilion by stating that Pakistan Navy is currently undergoing extensive modernization and expansion as part of Pakistan’s role in the War on Terror. Pakistan Navy is the naval warfare branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces, responsible for Pakistan’s 1,046 kilometers (650 mi) coastlines along the Arabian Sea and the defence of important civilian harbours and military bases. Pakistan Navy is also focused on limited global expeditionary operations, and played a vital role in establishment of Pakistan Antarctic Programme. Since 2001, Pakistan Navy has increased and expanded its operational scope and has been given greater national and international responsibility in countering the threat of sea-based global terrorism, drug smuggling and trafficking issues.
The mission of the Pakistan Navy is to protect the maritime interests of Pakistan, and to deter aggression at and from sea. After the independence, Pakistan Navy has come a long way from a small flotilla of ships to a complete fleet. Pakistan Navy now consists of fully modernized ships with state of the art equipment and weapon system, latest conventional submarines, state of art MCMVs and indigenously built missile boats, fast patrol crafts and midgets submarines.
Furthermore, PN Dockyard is fully geared-up to meet maintenance needs of Pakistani Fleet. Continued modernization of dockyard workshops to keep pace with the change of technology and induction of system of PN platforms has been the strength of PN planners. Advanced Engineering and Research Organization (AERO) supplementing the weapons demand met by precision engineering work can never be neglected.
KS&EW established in mid fifties is the only Heavy Engineering Industry of Pakistan that is catering for Shipbuilding, Ship repair and heavy engineering requirement in south of Pakistan. It is the first Public Sector Organization who achieved ISO 9000 certification in 1996 and now certified in ISO 9001:2008, ISO 14001:2004 & OHSAS 18001:2007 accredited from UKAS through Lloyd’s Register. KS&EW as an autonomous commercial organization under Ministry of Defense Production, Govt of Pakistan has played a historical role in transferring of technologies and broadening the industrial base of the country.
With the recent upgrading of the infrastructure / facilities and having over 2000 trained and efficient workforce, KS&EW today is fully capable to meet the future challenges of the shipbuilding and other heavy industries in Pakistan. In early eighties PN Dockyard also undertook limited construction of small to medium size ships. Indigenous construction of modern OPVs, Missile Boats, state of the art MCMVs and above all Agosta 90B submarine has put PN on the road of self – reliance. Retrofitting of modern ships and submarines at PN Dockyard is providing cost effective maintenance to the fleet units. Frigate is a multi mission ship and equiped with the state of the art weapons and senses.
Being a four – dimension service, PN also maintains a strong air arm. PNS Mehran has maintenance facilities for maritime patrol aircrafts and helicopters including training simulator available for use by friendly countries. In a nut shell, Pakistan Navy has now become a backbone regarding protection of trade routes via sea lines of communications. Currently Pakistan’s approx. more than 80% trade is being conducted by the sea lines of communication. One can estimate the significant role of Pakistan Navy in protecting national interests of Pakistan in this regard.
Writer is Ph.D Scholar in Area Study Centre for Africa , North and South America at Quaid-I-Azam University Islamabad.