Authorities in Karachi are planning strict measures for the upcoming International Defense Exhibition and Seminar (IDEAS) 2024, including the closure of schools.
Local media reports say the city administration has requested that schools along Shahrah-e-Faisal and Habib Ibrahim Rahmatullah Road be closed from November 19 to 22.
This decision is being made because important dignitaries will be attending the defense exhibition in Karachi. Special routes will also be set up to help VIPs move between their hotels and the Expo Centre, which is expected to be the main venue for the event.
The 12th edition of IDEAS 2024 will take place next week at the Karachi Expo Centre. The event will display a wide range of modern and traditional defense technologies, including weapons and military vehicles.
The exhibition will be attended by local and international delegates, security experts, exhibitors, and senior policymakers, all focusing on advancements in defense technology and strengthening Pakistan’s position in the global defense industry.
The International Defence Exhibition and Seminar, more commonly referred to as IDEAS, is a defence sector event, held biennially, in Pakistan. Since its inception by President Pervez Musharraf in 2000, it has grown to include more than 54,000 trade visitors, 290 delegates members (from 43 countries), 133 national exhibitors and 294 exhibitors from around the world as of IDEAS 2016.
The Pakistan government attaches a high level of importance to IDEAS; even though it attracts a large number of delegates, it is seen as a vehicle for facilitating their own indigenous arms trade. The level of political involvement has been known to reach the highest echelons, with President Asif Ali Zardari personally inviting the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to the event in 2008 in order to boost the chances of Pakistan’s export of its indigenously developed Al-Khalid main battle tanks.
