Inter-Services Public Relations( ISPR) Director General( DG) Major General Babar Iftikhar on Tuesday said that the defence budget allocation for the financial time 2022- 23, contrary to perception, had dropped after factors similar as affectation and rupee deprecation was reckoned for, and was now2.2 per cent of the GDP from2.8 pc last time.
In the budget presented by Finance Minister Miftah Ismail on Friday, defence services were allocated Rs1, billion, which makes up17.5 pc of the total current expenditure and is11.16 pc advanced than last time. In terms of expenditure, the defence budget is 16pc of the government’s planned total disbursement — exactly the same as it was a time before.
The declared increase in defence budget was in sharp discrepancy to the cuts in spending on the development sector( 11pc), health( 31pc), education(1.5 pc) and casing( 77pc).
The allocation makes up nearly1.94 pc of the GDP and 16pc of the total expenditure planned by the government for the coming time. The hike is nearly at par with the average affectation calculated for the time ending on June 30.
still, in an interview with anchor Kamran Shahid on Dunya News show On the front, DG Iftikhar defended the popular allocation for defence and denied that it has seen an increase.
He said there was an” periodic debate” on army’s allocation following the budget, adding that the plutocrat allocated for defence services was grounded on the” trouble perception, challenges, deployment and the coffers available”.
” So( later) considering at all these effects, the army hasn’t had any( net) increase in the budget since 2020,” the DG ISPR claimed.” When you look at affectation and rupee deprecation, it( defence budget) was actually reduced. It was2.8 pc of GDP last time and now we’re at2.2 pc so the budget is continuously going down in GDP terms.”
He said that after factoring in this time’s affectation, the defence budget had actually taken a megahit of Rs100bn.” Despite these challenges, we didn’t allow any failing in our capabilities,” Iftikhar added.
evolving on the measures taken by the army to check its spending, he said instructions had been passed to conserve energy and reduce expenditure on serviceability, while Friday would be observed as a” dry day” where no sanctioned transport would be used except for extremities.
DG Iftikhar further said the army had returned to the government Rs6bn from Covid allotments and Rs3.5 bn from other allotments in last time’s budget.
No bone has the right to target an institution on base of falsehoods’
When questioned about former high minister Imran Khan’s longstanding claim of there being a US- backed conspiracy behind his ouster, the DG ISPR said he’d” formerly clarified” the matter as he progressed to reject the claim again.
Regarding the first National Security Committee meeting on the politic string at the centre of the conspiracy allegation that was held during Imran’s term, the DG ISPR said it was attended by top military leadership and the actors were” easily and in detail briefed by agencies that there’s no kind of conspiracy or any substantiation of it”.
Asked to explain how he defined an act of hindrance and an act of conspiracy, Iftikhar said they were politic terms and diplomats could more explain them.
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The DG ISPR was also asked about” propaganda and review” against the army after it” receded” itself from political affairs. He conceded that the army and its leadership were being targeted through” unwarranted rumours and propaganda which is veritably unfortunate and should not be”.
He said that everyone was entitled to their opinion, but no bone had the right to” reject data and target an institution and its personalities on the base of falsehoods”.
Musharraf’s return to Pakistan
The DG ISPR verified that former army chief General( retd) Pervez Musharraf’s family was in contact with the service regarding his mooted return to Pakistan in light of his poor health. He said that Musharraf’s return to Pakistan from UAE was a decision for his family and croakers
to make.
” The institution and its leadership have the station that he should come back,” he said.
The DG ISPR also talked about Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s recent visit to China, saying it was” veritably important”. He said the trip would have” far- reaching goods” that would soon be seen.
