The export armaments have increased to 200 million dollar in 2005 as compared to 20 million dollar in the year 2001. This was said by Major General Syed Absar Hussain, Director General, Defence Export Promotion Organisation (DEPO) while speaking at the press briefing regarding the 4th International Defence Exhibition and Seminar (IDEAS-2006) held at a local hotel here on Thursday.
He said that the armaments including short and medium range weapons are being exported to different countries of Middle East, Africa and other regions.
"Pakistan, is engaged in manufacturing military hardware in collaboration with experts from China and France", he said and added that similar joint ventures are being negotiated with Germany and some other countries.
He announced that the 4th IDEAS-2006 would be held from November 20 to 24, 2006 in the Karachi Expo Centre. Giving details he said that the inaugural ceremony of the IDEAS-2006 would be held on November 20, 2006 while a seminar in this regard would also be held on the same day at a local hotel.
The main exhibition would be started from November 21, 2006 and would be continued till the November 24, 2006. The theme of the 4th IDEAS-2006 is "Arms for Peace".
The IDEAS-2006, a venture of the Government of Pakistan and Pakistan Armed Forces is being managed by the Defence Export Promotion Organisation, organised by Pegasus Consultancy (Pvt) Limited and being endorsed by the Export Promotion Bureau.
He said that the exhibition has become one of the major events in the world, in which hundreds of delegates participate from all over the globe. There are only few countries in world that held such exhibitions and export armaments.
Regarding the 4th IDEAS-2006, Major General Absar Hussain said that more than 450 delegates from 95 different countries are expected to participate in this mega event. The three previous exhibitions has been organised successfully, he said and expressed his hope that the forth one exhibition in this series would be most successful.
He pointed out that all arrangements in this regard are being done and the steering committee in its meetings has discussed all the issues, which could be faced during the exhibition. Security and traffic arrangements would be done in proper manner so that the citizens of the city could not suffer during the event.