Pakistan's economy is in a shambolic state but the country is looking at ways to augment its defense financial statement in its place of dropping it to address more pressing problems.
Speaking to members of the local press, the country's information minister Fawad Chaudhry said that Pakistan cannot give to make cuts in its defense budget because it was previously on the lower side when compared to South Asian neighbors. "The country's defense budget is already low as compare to other states in the region, and therefore it should be increased," he was quoted as saying by Dawn. "Some people have troubles about the defense budget and try to make it an issue. However, they don't know that our defense finances are already lower than that of other states in the region, including India."
Chaudhry said there is a vital need to make Pakistan more secure. "We need to increase our defense budget and for that purpose, we want to generate more revenue. We want to increase our defense and security."
A cut in defense budget has been the demand by some sections of the political fraternity in the country but several security analysts around the world have always doubt if the Imran Khan government would do so. Some even accuse the current government in the nation to be a puppet set-up install by the Pakistan Army and the ISI. They claim that a cut in the defense budget would never be allowed in a country where army and ISI are calling the shots.
At a time when aid from the United States has slowed down to a trickle owing to Pakistan's unwillingness in tackle home-grown terror, the country has been looking at China and Saudi Arabia to help its reconstruct its economy. The country has also – and yet again – approach the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a bailout package but talks so far have remained only on paper. PM Khan – who won the elections last August on the back of the promise of fixing the economy – has even asked Pakistan Diaspora to contribute but rival political leaders largely blame him for being ineffective.
