ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Monday announced that the government has decided to freeze the allocation for defence in the next national budget as a measure of Pakistan’s tangible display to seek peace with neighbours. Giving a policy statement in the National Assembly, the Prime Minister said when seen in the context of inflation and rupee-dollar parity, the defence budget of Pakistan will be reduced.
He said the ministry of defence and the chief of army staff have fully endorsed the revised format of the defence services budget estimates.
He said he expects a reciprocal gesture from its neighbour for the sake of peace and prosperity of the region.
Pakistan, Gilani added, is located in a turbulent and volatile region and therefore it cannot remain oblivious to its defence needs.
“We shall continue to strive for it without compromising on our national interests,” he added.
He said as a matter of policy, Pakistan’s defence is based on the strategy of minimum essential credible deterrence and that “we shall not enter into any arms race.”
He said at present the budget of the three services, ordnance factories and others is presented as a one line allocation. It is not approved separately but in a consolidated form for all defence services.
The government, Gilani added, has now decided to present the defence budget in a format reflecting the estimated expenditure under major ‘heads’ in the parliament.
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