Pakistan imported fewer arms in 2015: report

STOCKHOLM:

Pakistan’s arms imports in 2015 fell, accounting for 3.3 per cent of global arms imports with an expenditure of $735 million, a report said.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Pakistan dropped two places on the list of arms importers – from five to seven -- as its share in global arms imports fell from four per cent in 2014 to just 3.3 per cent in 2015.Its spending on arms also fell from $752 million to $735 million in the respective years – down to 10 from nine with regards to spending.



China remained the largest source of arms for Pakistan with its share increasing from 51 per cent in 2014 to 63 per cent in 2015.  Ostensibly, Pakistan remained China’s biggest customer for arms accounting for 35 per cent of its global weapons exports. This, however, was down from 41 per cent in 2014 as China sought to expand its exports to other buyers such as Bangladesh (20 per cent) and Myanmar (16 per cent).

"The Chinese until ten years ago were only able to offer low tech equipment. That has changed," said Siemon Wezeman, Senior Researcher with the SIPRI Arms and Military Expenditure Programme. He added that China was now producing equipment which was much more advanced than 10 years ago.

US was the second largest destination for arms for Pakistan but its share declined from 30 per cent in 2014 to just 19 per cent in 2015.



Pakistan purchased more weapons from Italy, 4.6 per cent, in 2015. This was in comparison to weapons purchased from Sweden, five per cent, in 2014.

Worldwide, India remained by far the biggest importer of major arms, spending $3.078 billion accounting for 14 per cent of the total.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 23^rd,  2016.