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Pakistan's military over budget

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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