The real problem is that a hike in India’s and Pakistan’s defence outlays is at the cost of social sectors.
RAWALPINDI: Some media reports reflect that relevant parliamentary committees and audit bodies are not properly briefed about the various aspects of defence budget.
Some people have expressed surprise at the budget for military pensions which has been clubbed together under the civilian head. It is widely known that military pensions are shown as ‘civil pensions’ to deflate the defence expenditure as a proportion of GDP. India also does so to get a favourable place in comparisons made by the Military Balance, Jane’s Defence and other international magazines. Besides pensions, India excludes from the defence outlay several other quasi-defence provisions like public sector undertakings under its Ministry of Defence, space-and-nuke-research projects, border and strategic roads and a host of paramilitary forces.
However, there is one point that merits consideration. India showcases its ‘transparent’ defence expenditures on websites. But Pakistan conventionally gives ‘a one-line cumulative defence outlay’ in its defence budget. This gives the impression that Pakistan wants to conceal its defence expenditure. The reality is that there is, in actuality, no effort to conceal defence outlays. Whenever demanded, the details of the defence budget for the current as well as for the coming financial years were placed before parliament.
Lieutenant General Attiqur Rehman says: “In a democracy, the defence services belong to the people through their representatives in the parliament. Thus, the people have the right to know what is going on, how their money is being spent and how the defence services are being managed and administered. In fact, they have a right to know everything, except details of actual war plans.”
The real problem is that a hike in India’s and Pakistan’s defence outlays is at the cost of social sectors.
Amjed Jaaved
Published in The Express Tribune, May 23rd, 2014.
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