Pakistan's economy is on the brink of collapse and it standing at it's weakest position in the country's 64-year history. The annual economic growth of Pakistan has slumped to little more than 2.4%. The fiscal deficit has widened to unacceptable levels and support from the International Monetary Fund is the need of the hour for Pakistan.
Regardless of the state of the economy, Pakistan's powerful military is on a shopping spree to compete with India. The United States has been a long time ally of Pakistan but that seems to be changing with Pakistan giving more preference to China over the US.
The country's financial mess did not stop Pakistan's Prime Minister to return from a four-day visit from Beijing with the promise of 50 fighter jets worth about $1.1bn, and undertakings to develop Pakistan's navy. Pakistan is clearly trying to match India militarily without looking at it's financial state at all. The economy of Pakistan is no where even close to India's in terms of GDP.
China has also promised co-operation with Pakistan in the fields of power plants, dams and nuclear assistance. This was clearly intended to reassure Islamabad of it's chief regional ally in the wake of the humiliation of the US raid on Osama Bin Laden. The founding and the death of Osama Bin Laden just 80kms from Islamabad is the darkest moment for Pakistan's army since the loss of East Pakistan in 1971.
China has over the past two years cemented a relationship with Pakistan's air force over the supply of JF-17 aircraft and the offer of J-10 stealth fighters. This is clearly intended to pin down India's dominance as an air power in Asia.
Pakistan is so desperate for support of the Chinese that it has decided to extend Pakistan's strategic partnership with Beijing from the skies to the Arabian Sea.
Pakistan's defence ministry officials in the wake of a ballooning deficit are negotiating the purchase of six new submarines from China. Delivery of these submarines is expected over a decade. The deal to supply 6 submarines could be worth well over $3bn and would be the largest defence purchase between the two neighbours.
Pakistan is opening a doorway to the Chinese to broaden their presence in the Indian Ocean. The Indian Navy will act upon this development and acquire more weapon platforms to counter this threat. What Pakistan does not understand is that everytime it tries to pin India down, India rises to a new height leaving Pakistan even further behind.
Pakistan is so addicted to aid that they needed Chinese financial assistance to develop the deep-sea port at Gwadar in western Pakistan, near Iran and close to the straits of Hormuz at the eastern end of the Gulf.
Shamefully a Pakistani General has quoted, "China's growing presence serves to reinforce China's capacity and interests well beyond it's shores, and Pakistan, of course, is very keen to see the Chinese here."
A country like Pakistan with dangerous public finances which are already forcing to hold back a planned purchase of three German submarines, China offers a cheaper option and long-term credit. India on the other hand is acquiring state-of-the-art submarines, stealth destroyers and frigates and also building a three carrier battle fleet to maintain the status quo of the most dominant force in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
Swelling military orders at a time when Pakistan is suffering crippling power shortages might provoke domestic questions about the army's reluctance to embrace the austerity forced upon most of the country's 180m people. No matter how close Pakistan gets to China, it will never be able to compete with a giant like India who has made strides in areas like education, infrastructure, economic growth, military, etc. There has been not a single year which Pakistan has survived without foreign aid since it's formation in 1947.
Defence News - Pakistan's Economy On The Brink Of Callapse
Regardless of the state of the economy, Pakistan's powerful military is on a shopping spree to compete with India. The United States has been a long time ally of Pakistan but that seems to be changing with Pakistan giving more preference to China over the US.
The country's financial mess did not stop Pakistan's Prime Minister to return from a four-day visit from Beijing with the promise of 50 fighter jets worth about $1.1bn, and undertakings to develop Pakistan's navy. Pakistan is clearly trying to match India militarily without looking at it's financial state at all. The economy of Pakistan is no where even close to India's in terms of GDP.
China has also promised co-operation with Pakistan in the fields of power plants, dams and nuclear assistance. This was clearly intended to reassure Islamabad of it's chief regional ally in the wake of the humiliation of the US raid on Osama Bin Laden. The founding and the death of Osama Bin Laden just 80kms from Islamabad is the darkest moment for Pakistan's army since the loss of East Pakistan in 1971.
China has over the past two years cemented a relationship with Pakistan's air force over the supply of JF-17 aircraft and the offer of J-10 stealth fighters. This is clearly intended to pin down India's dominance as an air power in Asia.
Pakistan is so desperate for support of the Chinese that it has decided to extend Pakistan's strategic partnership with Beijing from the skies to the Arabian Sea.
Pakistan's defence ministry officials in the wake of a ballooning deficit are negotiating the purchase of six new submarines from China. Delivery of these submarines is expected over a decade. The deal to supply 6 submarines could be worth well over $3bn and would be the largest defence purchase between the two neighbours.
Pakistan is opening a doorway to the Chinese to broaden their presence in the Indian Ocean. The Indian Navy will act upon this development and acquire more weapon platforms to counter this threat. What Pakistan does not understand is that everytime it tries to pin India down, India rises to a new height leaving Pakistan even further behind.
Pakistan is so addicted to aid that they needed Chinese financial assistance to develop the deep-sea port at Gwadar in western Pakistan, near Iran and close to the straits of Hormuz at the eastern end of the Gulf.
Shamefully a Pakistani General has quoted, "China's growing presence serves to reinforce China's capacity and interests well beyond it's shores, and Pakistan, of course, is very keen to see the Chinese here."
A country like Pakistan with dangerous public finances which are already forcing to hold back a planned purchase of three German submarines, China offers a cheaper option and long-term credit. India on the other hand is acquiring state-of-the-art submarines, stealth destroyers and frigates and also building a three carrier battle fleet to maintain the status quo of the most dominant force in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
Swelling military orders at a time when Pakistan is suffering crippling power shortages might provoke domestic questions about the army's reluctance to embrace the austerity forced upon most of the country's 180m people. No matter how close Pakistan gets to China, it will never be able to compete with a giant like India who has made strides in areas like education, infrastructure, economic growth, military, etc. There has been not a single year which Pakistan has survived without foreign aid since it's formation in 1947.
Defence News - Pakistan's Economy On The Brink Of Callapse
