Pakistan | The Warrior State | Book looks into Pakistan's failings.

[RiazHaq]

Pakistan's military spending is about one-third of its budget, and is the largest domestic head, by far. And unsustainable. Pakistan is starving itself into oblivion by feeding this parasite.

Pak defense allocation is less than one-sixth of the current budget. It's the 4th largest part of the budget after development, interest on debt, and subsidies to money-losing public sector units like PEPCO, PIA and steel mills.

Myth 1: The allocation for defence is the single largest component in our budget. Not true. The single largest allocation in Budget 2013-14 went to the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP). The second largest allocation in Budget 2013-14 went to servicing the national debt. The third largest government expenditure, including off the budget allocations, are the losses at public-sector enterprises (PSEs). Yes, the fourth largest government expenditure goes into defence.

Myth 2: The defence budget eats up a large percentage of the total outlay. Not true. In Budget 2013-14, a total of 15.74 percent of the total outlay was allocated for defence. PSDP and debt servicing were 30 percent each. What that means is that more than 84 percent of all government expenditures are non-defence related.

Myth 3: The defence budget has been increasing at an increasing rate. Not true. In 2001-02, we spent 4.6 percent of our GDP on defence. In 2013-14, twelve years later, our defence spending has gone down to 2.7 percent of GDP.

Myth 4: We end up spending a very high percentage of our GDP on defence. Not true. There are at least four dozen countries that spend a higher percentage of their GDP on defence.

They include: India, Egypt, Sri Lanka, the United States, the United Kingdom, South Korea, France, Eritrea, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Liberia, Brunei, Syria, Kuwait, Yemen, Angola, Singapore, Greece, Iran, Bahrain, Djibouti, Morocco, Chile, Lebanon, Russia, Colombia, Zimbabwe, Turkey, Georgia, Guinea-Bissau, Ethiopia, Namibia, Guinea, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Algeria, Serbia and Montenegro, Armenia, Botswana, Ukraine, Uganda, Ecuador, Bulgaria, Lesotho and Sudan.

Myth 5: The Pakistan Army consumes the bulk of the defence budget. Not true. In the 1970s, the Pakistan Army’s share in the defence budget had shot up to 80 percent. In 2012-13, the Pakistan Army’s share in the defence budget stood at 48 percent.

Now some facts:

Fact 1: The Pakistan Army’s budget as a percentage of our national budget now hovers around eight percent.

Fact 2: Losses incurred at public-sector enterprises can pay for 100 percent of our defence budget.

Fact 3: Pakistan’s armed forces are the sixth largest but our expenses per soldier are the lowest. America spends nearly $400,000 per soldier, India $25,000 and Pakistan $10,000.

Fact 4: Of all the armies in the world, Pak Army has received the highest number of UN medals. Of all the armies in the world, Pak Army is the largest contributor of troops to the UN peacekeeping missions.

Mark Twain once remarked, “Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please.”

Defence budget - Dr Farrukh Saleem

 

[VCheng]

Pak defense allocation is less than one-sixth of the current budget. It's the 4th largest part of the budget after development, interest on debt, and subsidies to money-losing public sector units like PEPCO, PIA and steel mills.

Myth 1: The allocation for defence is the single largest component in our budget. Not true. The single largest allocation in Budget 2013-14 went to the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP). The second largest allocation in Budget 2013-14 went to servicing the national debt. The third largest government expenditure, including off the budget allocations, are the losses at public-sector enterprises (PSEs). Yes, the fourth largest government expenditure goes into defence.

Myth 2: The defence budget eats up a large percentage of the total outlay. Not true. In Budget 2013-14, a total of 15.74 percent of the total outlay was allocated for defence. PSDP and debt servicing were 30 percent each. What that means is that more than 84 percent of all government expenditures are non-defence related.

Myth 3: The defence budget has been increasing at an increasing rate. Not true. In 2001-02, we spent 4.6 percent of our GDP on defence. In 2013-14, twelve years later, our defence spending has gone down to 2.7 percent of GDP.

Myth 4: We end up spending a very high percentage of our GDP on defence. Not true. There are at least four dozen countries that spend a higher percentage of their GDP on defence.

They include: India, Egypt, Sri Lanka, the United States, the United Kingdom, South Korea, France, Eritrea, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Liberia, Brunei, Syria, Kuwait, Yemen, Angola, Singapore, Greece, Iran, Bahrain, Djibouti, Morocco, Chile, Lebanon, Russia, Colombia, Zimbabwe, Turkey, Georgia, Guinea-Bissau, Ethiopia, Namibia, Guinea, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Algeria, Serbia and Montenegro, Armenia, Botswana, Ukraine, Uganda, Ecuador, Bulgaria, Lesotho and Sudan.

Myth 5: The Pakistan Army consumes the bulk of the defence budget. Not true. In the 1970s, the Pakistan Army’s share in the defence budget had shot up to 80 percent. In 2012-13, the Pakistan Army’s share in the defence budget stood at 48 percent.

Now some facts:

Fact 1: The Pakistan Army’s budget as a percentage of our national budget now hovers around eight percent.

Fact 2: Losses incurred at public-sector enterprises can pay for 100 percent of our defence budget.

Fact 3: Pakistan’s armed forces are the sixth largest but our expenses per soldier are the lowest. America spends nearly $400,000 per soldier, India $25,000 and Pakistan $10,000.

Fact 4: Of all the armies in the world, Pak Army has received the highest number of UN medals. Of all the armies in the world, Pak Army is the largest contributor of troops to the UN peacekeeping missions.

Mark Twain once remarked, “Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please.”

Defence budget - Dr Farrukh Saleem

Dr. Saleem's post has been debunked by official figures many times, including my posts in response to when this article first came out.

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

so your posts are now official figures

What comment about Pakistan would be complete without mentioning the utter denial that is practiced by those who simply do not wish to acknowledge the reality?

The fvckups are pervasive in Pakistan, from top to bottom, not just the government.

how is that denial????

i feel like you just post here just for the sake of posting.....and "just posting" doesnt boost your intelligence or make you look clever. Quite the opposite.

all you do is engage in semantics all day and night

 

[VCheng]

so your posts are now official figures



how is that denial????

i feel like you just post here just for the sake of posting.....and "just posting" doesnt boost your intelligence or make you look clever. Quite the opposite.

all you do is engage in semantics all day and night

Ignoring the personal attacks, it is quite clear that most like you are simply in denial that the situation is dire and worsening. May be the next major attack by the Taliban will open your eyes. If not that one, then the one after it, and then the next.

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

Ignoring the personal attacks, it is quite clear that most like you are simply in denial that the situation is dire and worsening. May be the next major attack by the Taliban will open your eyes. If not that one, then the one after it, and then the next.

I'm in denial about the situation? Read my past posts, Cheng-du- Chong.

Are you not even following the military operations? Of course you arent. Are you aware that thousands of these foreign fighters are on the run for two reasons:

a.) the operations themselves
b.) the jirgas taken place in N.Waz prior to the campaign in which it was agreed that tribals would evict the uzbek/afghan terrorists who have been abusing the tribal code of hospitality; not to mention Mosque loud speakers have called on residents to evict them

of course you arent

 

[VCheng]

I'm in denial about the situation? Read my past posts, Cheng-du- Chong.

Are you not even following the military operations? Of course you arent. Are you aware that thousands of these foreign fighters are on the run for two reasons:

a.) the operations themselves
b.) the jirgas taken place in N.Waz prior to the campaign in which it was agreed that tribals would evict the uzbek/afghan terrorists who have been abusing the tribal code of hospitality; not to mention Mosque loud speakers have called on residents to evict them

of course you arent

Again, ignoring the name calling, which is totally unnecessary, and only shows just shows the arrogant intellectual poverty of anything related to faujis these days, this present operation, just like the previous ones in Tirah and Swat, will not lead to any lasting improvement in the situation. The foreign fighters and their sympathizers will be back as soon as the Army runs out of its huff and puff in these areas.

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

Again, ignoring the name calling, which is totally unnecessary, and only shows just shows the arrogant intellectual poverty of anything related to faujis these days, this present operation, just like the previous ones in Tirah and Swat, will not lead to any lasting improvement in the situation. The foreign fighters and their sympathizers will be back as soon as the Army runs out of its huff and puff in these areas.

yeah i heard similar yapping when Swat Operation took place...how'd that negative energy work out for you

 

[VCheng]

yeah i heard similar yapping when Swat Operation took place...how'd that negative energy work out for you

Swat is back in the Taleban influence, slowly and steadily.

 

[RiazHaq]

Dr. Saleem's post has been debunked by official figures many times, including my posts in response to when this article first came out.

Debunked? How? Isn't the budget a public document?

Here's the federal budget: http://finance.gov.pk/budget/Budget_in_Brief_2013_14.pdf

Defense is 600 billion rupees out of a 3 trillion rupees budget....about 20% of the federal budget.

Education and health are provincial subjects and each province has significantly raised allocations for social sector.

 

[VCheng]

Debunked? How? Isn't the budget a public document?

Here's the federal budget: http://finance.gov.pk/budget/Budget_in_Brief_2013_14.pdf

Defense is 600 billion rupees out of a 3 trillion rupees budget....about 20% of the federal budget.

Education and health are provincial subjects and each province has significantly raised allocations for social sector.

Add in the hidden expenses like pensions, covert operations and nuclear weapons, and we are at nearly a third of the budget.

 

[RiazHaq]

Add in the hidden expenses like pensions, covert operations and nuclear weapons, and we are at nearly a third of the budget.

So you know all about "covert" allocations and their size?

 

[VCheng]

So you know all about "covert" allocations and their size?

Even it we add in the public heads in the document, we are still at 28% (797 of 2829 billion PKR). And these are the allocations. At the end of the year, the actual amounts spent will still be closer to 33%, roughly, just like in the previous years.

 

[RiazHaq]

Even it we add in the public heads in the document, we are still at 28% (797 of 2829 billion PKR). And these are the allocations. At the end of the year, the actual amounts spent will still be closer to 33%, roughly, just like in the previous years.

First your calcs are wrong...both defense and total spending. Please check again.

Second, do you also know about "covert" defense budgets of other nations like India, China, Iran, etc?

 

[VCheng]

First your calcs are wrong...both defense and total spending. Please check again.

Second, do you also know about "covert" defense budgets of other nations like India, China, Iran, etc?

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

Swat is back in the Taleban influence, slowly and steadily.

you better come with proof of that rather than continuing your nervous replies

Add in the hidden expenses like pensions, covert operations and nuclear weapons, and we are at nearly a third of the budget.

DO YOU HAVE THOSE FIGURES?

and by pensions I assume you mean for the military you love to blindly attack...you must be another Ayesha Siddiqui summer intern


PENSION DOES NOT FALL UNDER THE DEFENSE BUDGET!!