PNN – The increase in Pakistan’s military budget for the second time in the last six years shows Islamabad’s priority in strengthening its military capabilities and defense infrastructure under the shadow of geopolitical developments in the region.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network from Pakistani media, Pakistan’s new military-defense budget with a significant increase of 17.6% is the second significant increase in the last six years.
Pakistan’s next year’s budget bill was presented on Wednesday in the open session of the country’s National Assembly. The budget ceiling for the new financial year of Pakistan has been announced as 67.42 billion dollars.
Read more:
PTI slams Khawaja Asif for hinting at launching anti-terror attacks
According to the details of Pakistan’s new budget, the government of Islamabad has proposed to allocate 2.12 trillion rupees (about 7.57 billion dollars) to the armed forces in the next fiscal year, which represents a 17.6 percent increase over last year’s budget.
Defense observers in Pakistan believe that the significant increase in the military-defense budget indicates the country’s priority to strengthen Pakistan’s defense capabilities under the shadow of geopolitical tensions in the region.
According to the report, the significant increase in defense spending is the second largest increase in the last six years. Last year, Pakistan’s military budget increased by 15%.
According to experts, the bulk of the military budget that is related to missile and nuclear weapons programs is provided through separate channels that are hidden under classified budgets, therefore, the actual amount of Pakistan’s military spending remains obscure.