Pakistan's military over budget
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Special to World Tribune.com
MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE
Monday, April 29, 2002
ISLAMABAD Ñ Pakistan will spend way beyond its defense budget for
2002 to pay for the current showdown with India.
Officials said Pakistan's military will spend 11 percent above its
budget to pay for the deployment of hundreds of thousands of troops sent to
the border with India. In all, officials said Islamabad plans to spend
$2.48 billion on defense in the budget that ends on June 30.
The acknowledgement of the extra defense spending comes as the
international community has pressed Pakistan to reduce military spending.
The military budget comprises about 17 percent of the goverment's $12
billion budget.
Islamabad had intended to maintain a budget deficit of no more than 4.9
percent. With the new defense spending, the deficit will reach about 5.7
percent, officials said.
Officials said Islamabad has invested greater than expected resources in
troop deployment around and air surveillance of Pakistan's 2,912-kilometer
long eastern border with India. They said the additional funding was
allocated over the last six months following border tension with India.
The International Monetary Fund has been informed of the additional
defense allocations. Officials said the IMF expressed understanding but
insisted that the defense budget be honored next year.
Pakistani Air Force commander Air Marshal Mussaf Ali Mir said Islamabad
wants to purchase advanced radar from the United States and Sweden. Mir said
the air force does not have a limit on procurement.
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