Only investment on human capital will make the economy strong, not making or buying more tanks and military aircraft.
PERTH, AUSTRALIA: The former USSR had an army that was four million strong and had a massive arsenal. However, that still didn’t prevent its collapse, because it’s economy could not sustain its defence spending. Pakistan is much smaller compared to the former Soviet Union and if we keep spending a quarter of our budget on defence and less than one per cent on education, in due course of time there will be no country to defend. Only investment on human capital will make the economy strong, not making or buying more tanks and military aircraft. Take the case of India — it is doing well not because it has a big army but because it has a thriving and growing economy.
Munir Ahmad Saeed
Published in The Express Tribune, December 29th, 2011.
