Pak: No change in India-specific defence spending

[Singh]

ISLAMABAD: Where counter-insurgency operations require a lot of finances, the army says it cannot afford to have India-specific defence budget curtailed.

‘If you are suggesting that we should take something out of here and put it in another box that would not be a wise strategy. War on terror does require resources, but it should not be at the cost of something else,’ military spokesman Maj Gen Athar Abbas told DawnNews.

Pakistan usually makes its defence allocations with the objective of maintaining certain conventional parity with India.

In February this year, the Indian government made an interim 35 per cent increase of $26.5 billion in its defence budget.

Gen Athar Abbas did have any doubt that the increase in Indian defence budget is Pakistan-specific.

‘Take the example of (India’s) offensive aircraft, take the example of Awacs, take the example of air-to-air refuelling system. Then tank division and mechanised forces and their latest offensive doctrine of cold start strategy. All these things are Pakistan specific,’ he observed.

The PPP government will present its second budget to the National Assembly on June 13.

In a departure from the usual practice, last year the government presented some details of the defence budget in the assembly. It originally allocated Rs297 billion for defence and raised it to Rs310 billion. Sources in the finance ministry said the defence allocations for the next financial year might go up to Rs342 billion.

Meanwhile, Dr Pervez Hoodhbouy of Quaid-i-Azam University has warned the government against following India in increasing the defence budget.

‘Our threat comes from the people within Pakistan. Our threat is inherent. We should not spend it on buying more aircraft, more tanks or more submarines,’ he suggests.

Zafarullah Khan, another Islamabad-based analyst, proposes that paradigm of arms race between India and Pakistan must be re-examined.

DAWN.COM | Pakistan | No change in India-specific defence spending likely

 

[LETHALFORCE]

Some get a link when pakistan ever spent money to buy anything?

 

[1.44]

Gen Athar Abbas did have any doubt that the increase in Indian defence budget is Pakistan-specific.

‘Take the example of (India’s) offensive aircraft, take the example of Awacs, take the example of air-to-air refuelling system. Then tank division and mechanised forces and their latest offensive doctrine of cold start strategy. All these things are Pakistan specific,’ he observed.

Think a lot of themselves don't they
I honestly can't see them buying anything worthwhile.
By worthwhile i mean actually enabling them to win a conflict no just prolonging defeat

 

[Singh]

Quoting Nehru's letter sent to Sheikh Abdullah in '52.

We are superior to Pakistan in military and industrial power. But that superiority is not so great as to produce results quickly in war or by fear of war. Therefore, our national interest demands that we should adopt a peaceful policy towards Pakistan and, at the same time, add to our strength. Strength ultimately comes not from defence forces, but the industrial and economic background behind them. As we grow in strength, and we are likely to do so, Pakistan will feel less and less inclined to threaten or harass us, and a time will come when, through sheer force of circumstances, it will be in a mood to accept a settlement which we consider fair, whether in Kashmir or elsewhere.

India is luring Pak into an abyss called arms race, and Pak military has fall for this bait hook line and sinker. India is spending tremendous amounts of money on development and minuscule amounts comparatively on its defence; at the same time Pakistan is dependent on foreign aid to keep it afloat and spending large amounts of cash to try and maintain some kind of a parity with the leviathan on its eastern border.

If one is to observe all states which went the route of military over economy have fared badly over both fronts whereas those which went the route of economy over military have fared well on both counts.
Eg North Korea and Pakistan; and Singapore and South Korea

 

[JattDaDanda]

These beggers MOD EDIT: No Slurs allowed are trying so hard to hangout with big boys with pockets. Soon we will see them eating grass and runing out of water to obey there thirst. Build more dams and send the water towards other parts of India. MOD EDIT: No Slurs allowed should become dry barren in 4-6 years.

 

[SATISH]

We are trying to match our capability with China and Pakistan is trying to match ours so they are trying to directly match their capability with China. The Chinese and Indian economies are trillion dollar economies and have a very potent research base. The Pakistanis must understand and move forward. They must understand they cannot match us neither qualitatively or quantitatively.