ISLAMABAD, June 13: Federal Education Minister and former director general of the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt Gen (r) Javed Ashraf Qazi told the Senate on Monday that the Rs233 billion defence allocation was made in view of a potent Indian threat, despite a host of confidence-building measures between the two countries.

Lt Gen (r) Javed Ashraf Qazi rejected the opposition’s demand for a Rs20 billion cut in the defence budget because the Indian threat to Pakistan was “alive.” He said that India had not given up on a single point, whether the issue was Kashmir, Sir Creek or Siachen.

Through a majority vote on Monday, the government defeated the opposition’s motions for cuts in the budgets of the interior ministry, National Reconstruction Bureau, National Security Council, National Accountability Bureau, the president and the prime minister’s secretariats and the information ministry.

The former DG ISI said earlier that India had hardened its stance on Siachen and no progress had yet been made on Sir Creek. He said India had not shown any flexibility on Kashmir. It is a big misunderstanding to think that the Indian threat has been reduced just because of some political statements, the minister said.

The minister said the defence forces had to be prepared for any eventuality and allocations were made on the basis of threat perception. He said because the enemy’s intentions could change overnight, preparations for defence had to be made during peacetime.

The minister said the country’s defence budget was made by considering the parity of Indian and Pakistani armed forces including army, navy and air force. He said the parity of Pakistan and India’s army was 1:3, Navy 1:6 and Air Force 1:4.

Lt Gen (r) Qazi said Pakistan’s Navy and Air Force were technically far behind the Indian Navy and Air Force. “Pakistan Air Force and Navy desperately need money,” he said.

Lt Gen (r) Qazi said when Kargil happened, Pakistan Army had no problem to stay on the mountains but the Air Force did not have the firepower to counter the Indian Air Force.

He said if Pakistan Navy did not get the funds, the country could face an economic blockade.

The minister said the quantum of Pakistan’s defence budget was equal to the increase in the Indian defence budget, which has been on the rise.

He said the defence budget remained frozen for three years since 1999, despite the continuous rise in India’s defence budget. “We cannot match India in defence budget enhancement, but we have to see what our neighbour is doing,” he said.

Referring to the opposition’s argument that Turkey’s defence budget was now less than its allocations for education, Lt Gen (r) Qazi said Turkey’s threat perception changed after the break-up of the Soviet Union.

The minister said if Pakistan’s threat perception was eliminated, its defence budget could be opened to scrutiny.

Earlier, opposition senators including Ishaq Dar, Professor Khursheed Ahmed, Farhatullah Babar, Syed Murad Ali Shah, Azizullah Satakzai and Akbar Khawaja had proposed that the budget allocation for defence should be reduced by Rs20 billion and that savings be allocated for education (Rs6 billion), health (Rs6 billion), drinking water (Rs2 billion), poverty alleviation programme (Rs1 billion), ministry of religious affairs (Rs1 billion) and farm to market roads (Rs4 billion).

Senator Ishaq Dar said the defence budget had increased in real terms by 84 per cent during the last six years since 1999. The former finance minister said in 1999-2000, the defence budget was Rs142 billion inclusive of military pensions. He said the government had allocated Rs223 billion for defence after diverting the military pensions amounting to Rs40 billion to a civilian account.

Senator Ishaq Dar said the defence revenue expenditure should be subjected to parliamentary scrutiny and the amounts spent on luxury vehicles and white washes should be made transparent.

Senator Farhatullah Babar said this year’s increase in the defence budget was Rs30 billion more than last year’s allocations. He said the total allocations for agriculture, education and health were less than Rs30 billion put together.

He said that question of priorities and transparency assumed serious proportion as the military was increasingly engaging in business, commercial and real estate activities that were not consistent with defence requirements and defence priorities.

Senator Babar said the Auditor General of Pakistan in his report in 2001 had raised questions about disbursement of funds to Okara military farmlands.

He said the craze for plots had reached such a stage that an ordinance was issued to set up a Defence Housing Authority in Islamabad just a few hours before the session of the National Assembly had been convened. He also read out excerpts from the Supreme Court judgment on the legality of land allotments to the army personnel.