Pakistan among top 20 military spending countries in 2018: Sipri report
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Pakistan was 2018's 20th biggest military spender in the world with an expenditure of $11.4 billion, a report published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) said.
The military spending of 2018 made up for four per cent of Pakistan's gross domestic product (GDP) which is the highest level since 2004, according to the report by the Sweden-based institute.
The Sipri report ranked Pakistan among the top 10 countries with the highest "military burden" — described as a "state’s military expenditure as a share of GDP".
Since 2009, Pakistan's military spending has increased every year, the report stated, adding that between 2009 and 2018 the spending increased by 73pc. In 2017-18, the increase in military expenditure was 11pc, it said.
Top military spenders
The top military spender in the world is the United States, which spent $649bn on its forces last year. The US military spending, however, has decreased by 17pc over the past decade, the report said.
It is followed by China (around $250bn), Saudi Arabia (around $67.6bn), India ($66.5bn) and France ($63.8bn). These five countries accounted for 60pc of the global military spending.
According to the report, India's military spending, which rose by 3.1pc between 2017-18, was "largely motivated by tensions and rivalry with Pakistan and China".
Despite the increase from last year, India's military burden was the lowest since the 1960s and made up for 2.4pc of its GDP.
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Comments (116) Closed
Apr 29, 2019 06:15pm
Despite the increase from last year, India's military burden was the lowest since 1960s and made up for 2.4 per cent of its GDP.
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Apr 29, 2019 06:15pm
The country has every good reason to invest in its military, given the myriad of difficulties
and challenges it has to meet going forward. Pragmatic and defensive.
Gordon D. Walker
Canada
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Apr 29, 2019 06:17pm
Military spending is one thing and having perks by military officers is another thing.
Enough said!!!!
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Apr 29, 2019 06:18pm
According to the report, India's military spending, which rose by 3.1pc between 2017-18, was "largely motivated by tensions and rivalry with Pakistan and China".
Despite the increase from last year, India's military burden was the lowest since the 1960s and made up for 2.4pc of its GDP... Good job India.
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Apr 29, 2019 06:19pm
India spends ($66.5bn) while most of it goes to pension of retired soldiers and salaries of captured pilots. What is the advantage of a big army when most of it goes to paying for their food and medicine bills.
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Apr 29, 2019 06:19pm
pakistan spend 18% of its GDP and India spend 2.5%. may be someone has made its priority straight.
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Apr 29, 2019 06:27pm
Please keep on spending
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Apr 29, 2019 06:29pm
Some spendiing is must as we want to ensure every encounter with enemy end up like Feb 27, 2019.
also take inflation in past 10 years
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Apr 29, 2019 06:29pm
Libya, Syria and Iraq countries just a few countries that did not spend properly in a well equipped professional army.
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Apr 29, 2019 06:34pm
Bravo. Well done and feeling proud. All because of PMIK when previous governments failed
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Apr 29, 2019 06:35pm
Nothing surprising
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Apr 29, 2019 06:36pm
I wonder with IMF loan , can Pakistan spend on education, health, poverty reduction etc
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Apr 29, 2019 06:36pm
Now we know the reason the for 13 times (and more) IMF bailouts !!
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Apr 29, 2019 06:36pm
Well clearly shows that India spends wisely.
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Apr 29, 2019 06:38pm
Despite the increase from last year, India's military burden was the lowest since the 1960s and made up for 2.4pc of its GDP.
Show our priority
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Apr 29, 2019 06:45pm
What a waste if there was peace.
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Apr 29, 2019 06:46pm
Completely worth it. Wish we could do more for our armed forces. Pakistan Zindabad
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Apr 29, 2019 06:50pm
Proud that we are in the top 20 militaries of the world. Hopefully next time we will be in top 10. Considering we are a “security state” a minimum spend of 10% of GDP on our most capable military should be each Pakistanis’ goal.
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Apr 29, 2019 06:52pm
the expenditure with regard to % of their GDPs is what one should look at ....
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Apr 29, 2019 06:53pm
Congrats ...well done
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Apr 29, 2019 06:55pm
India lowered its ratio despite increase is due to a economy on a fast track mode...for Pakistan it is the opposite
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Apr 29, 2019 06:58pm
Counties should not spend more than 2% of GDP and 15% of their total taxes on defense.
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Apr 29, 2019 07:03pm
Despite the increase from last year, India's military burden was the lowest since the 1960s and made up for 2.4pc of its GDP.
Explains all.
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Apr 29, 2019 07:03pm
Greater the economy larger you may spend on defense, best example is China, 250 billions(less than 2%) are peanuts seeing size of their economy. America is different class all together as it is a war and weapon drivin economy. Losers are India & Pakistan as they have to feed billions and their economy size is not enough. Perhaps Pakistan position is even worse than India in this particular statics.
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Apr 29, 2019 07:04pm
Somewhere i read, India spends just 1.6% of GDP on defence. Rest are pension and salaries.
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Apr 29, 2019 07:12pm
@Kallu, forget GDP if you compare in % it is 29%+ for India while 73%+ for Pakistan in last decade
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Apr 29, 2019 07:14pm
The country must spend to defend itself. A priority item in turbulent times...
Gordon D. Walker
Canada
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Apr 29, 2019 07:17pm
and in last 20 for education and health
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Apr 29, 2019 07:21pm
Good job, who cares about poor Pakistanies?
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Apr 29, 2019 07:22pm
GDP hasn't increased that much.
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Apr 29, 2019 07:29pm
Good keep it up
Gordan F. Walker
Canada
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Apr 29, 2019 07:30pm
@Brothers, please read the report. It is not 18%.
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Apr 29, 2019 07:32pm
@Gordon D. Walker,
Well said.
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Apr 29, 2019 07:34pm
So india spent just 2.4% of its GDP on defence.
It's time for pakistan to analyze priorities
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Apr 29, 2019 07:34pm
@ALIG, if you calculate only 1 billion $ expend on salary part.
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Apr 29, 2019 07:35pm
@Rizwan, "Good job India."
Keep patting your own back.
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Apr 29, 2019 07:35pm
@Gordon D. Walker, good logical thinker
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Apr 29, 2019 07:40pm
When India spends $66.5bn on military, Pakistan only spends $11.4 bn .Too small should find ways to increase it so as to maintain the parity, of course let us forget about % of GDP etc etc
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Apr 29, 2019 07:53pm
... and its been prove beyond any doubts that this money was worth spending.
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Apr 29, 2019 08:10pm
"Despite the increase from last year, India's military burden was the lowest since the 1960s and made up for 2.4pc of its GDP"
This says it all. Smart
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Apr 29, 2019 08:26pm
@Gordon D. Walker, Great idea. This should be doubled, if not tripled.
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Apr 29, 2019 08:27pm
@Ken Starr, You are being too modest. 35% at least!!!
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Apr 29, 2019 08:36pm
@referee , India's actual current defence budget is 1.53% (45 Billion USD) with remaining going for the Defence pensions. But if NDA comes back, Arun Jaitley has proposed increasing the budget to 2.7-3.0% to facilitate the modernization process of the forces apart from modernizing the country's nuclear arsenal to improve their potency, design & also delivery systems like MIRVs, Hypersonic Glide Vehicles & Cruise Missile as well as longe range ICBMs.
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Apr 29, 2019 08:37pm
Pakistan should spend more. Next year increase by at least 20 %, the year after 30%, then 40% 50%.
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Apr 29, 2019 08:38pm
@Gaz, For the three you have mentioned (Libya, Syria and Iraq) I can name 50 whose spending is low on military but high on development, and they are doing just fine. No matter how much Libya and Iraq had spent on military, they would have been no match for the American might anyway.
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Apr 29, 2019 08:39pm
@zunaid, India, Remaining is just pension. The 1.53% includes revenue expenditures like salaries and maintenance of defence estates & facilities.
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Apr 29, 2019 08:44pm
How much spending for dams or dam-fund?
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Apr 29, 2019 08:48pm
@Brothers,
Pakistan military spending recently jumped up to 11% of its GDP and given the security challenges, Pakistan defense needed much more... Also, our most of spending goes to R&D. We are proud of having 4th generation indigenous fighter planes.
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Apr 29, 2019 08:51pm
@referee ,
Unfortunately, Pakistan GDP is going through its worst time and comparing military spending with current GDP is higher. However, by improving GDP, the percentage will be quite low.
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Apr 29, 2019 08:56pm
@ALIG, Indian military is under the control of cilivilan leadership, not the other way. That sums it up all.
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Apr 29, 2019 08:57pm
Question is who can afford it
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Apr 29, 2019 09:01pm
@Ghazanfar Ali, You need have education and food for people, then you can be more proud.
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Apr 29, 2019 09:13pm
"Despite the increase from last year, India's military burden was the lowest since the 1960s and made up for 2.4pc of its GDP."
Modi is a war monger.
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Apr 29, 2019 09:13pm
@Angry Pitbull,
Pakistan is 1/4th size of India. Pakistan GDP is 305 Billions US$ and India GDP is 2600 Billions US$. Considering its size, Pakistan real GDP should have been 650 Billions US$ and real military spending should be 16 Billions US$. Its our GDP rather military spending problem especially the security challenges we have.
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Apr 29, 2019 09:16pm
"Since 2009, Pakistan's military spending has increased every year"
There was no Modi in 2009.
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Apr 29, 2019 09:18pm
@ALIG, It is their problem.
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Apr 29, 2019 09:19pm
but the befitting response given to India recently worth spending what ever amount Pakistan has to...
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Apr 29, 2019 09:24pm
America is spending nearly 700 billion dollars in military but in return America is getting US dollars as defacto trading currency. All most all countries do business with American dollars fearing from American military and America federal reserves print these dollars as per their wish. As far as American prospective, 700 billion dollars is not a big amount (comparing to what they are getting in return). 700 billion dollars = 700 billion pieces of paper.
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Apr 29, 2019 09:27pm
@Ghazanfar Ali, And how will you increase GDP in a short frame of time?
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Apr 29, 2019 09:33pm
America is spending 700 billion dollars in military but in return America is getting US dollars as defacto trading currency. All most all countries do business with American dollars fearing from American military and America federal reserves print these dollars as per their wish. As far as American prospective, 700 billion dollars is not a big amount (comparing to what they are getting in return). 700 billion dollars = 700 billion pieces of paper.
If China can make yuan as defacto trading currency then they should compete with America spending that amount of money otherwise they should not fall in this arm race with America like soviet union did which made their economy collapse. India and Pakistan also need to stop spending large amount of money in defense.
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Apr 29, 2019 09:34pm
@RAja Raman,
I wonder how it "sums it up all"?
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Apr 29, 2019 09:34pm
Like Pakistan's hidden cash economy, the military burden of the country is also largely hidden, it is at least five times what is reported, since the military controls almost half the formal economy and possibly 75% of the informal one
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Apr 29, 2019 09:36pm
@Jameel, military officers have huge perks everywhere, esp after retirement.
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Apr 29, 2019 09:37pm
@Ken Starr, lets make it 80%. We can feed gunpowder and bullets to the poor and hungry and sick
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Apr 29, 2019 09:43pm
It's better to have freedom.
Whatever it takes.
Freedom is priceless.
Look at Libya and other countries.
Vultures are always hovering looking for weak countries to consume.
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Apr 29, 2019 09:46pm
4% of GDP is the unofficial number, but we have seen many articles which talks about the real number being significantly higher than this
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Apr 29, 2019 09:50pm
India by 1,5% increasing in its defence spending, would force Pakistan to near bankruptcy.
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Apr 29, 2019 09:52pm
As a percentage of GDP, India has easily one of the lowest military expenditures. It is confronted by a virulently hostile China which keeps provoking India at every opportunity. still, the expenditure is extremely low. However, Pakistanis still keep getting swayed by nonsensical claims by their alleged experts
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Apr 29, 2019 09:54pm
Increase the size of the cake first, then the military will have smaller share but still more money than they get now.
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Apr 29, 2019 09:56pm
Pakistan spends 18% of its GDP and India 2.6%. That's been said. But think if India spends 1% more Pakistan would have to go up to 25%. That is a quarter of its GDP. I think it would be worth it for India to spend that extra 1%.
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Apr 29, 2019 10:17pm
@Brothers, are you sure its 18%? I think this report mentions 4%.
"The military spending of 2018 made up for four per cent of Pakistan's gross domestic product"
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Apr 29, 2019 10:26pm
A country which has less than $9bn forex reserve spending $11.4bn on its defence is mind-boggling.
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Apr 29, 2019 10:29pm
This most likely does not include the land allotments and land grabs by the military brass. A short sighted policy of increasing burden will cripple the economy. Week civil governments and lack of clear policy on anything will result in failure of society and nation.
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Apr 29, 2019 10:32pm
Pakistan is surrounded by enemies especially bilegerant India.
We are under attack from multiple proxies, again including proxies funded by India, Afghanistan and NDS.
We have no choice but to fund the military adequately and I completely support it.
This article seems unfairly focusing on military budget..not the budget for interest payments on loans taken over the last year by the Zardari and Nawaz poorly managed governments!!??
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Apr 29, 2019 10:41pm
@Gordon D. Walker, great advice from someone sitting in comfort on other side of the planet!
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Apr 29, 2019 10:53pm
@Gordon D. Walker, Good observation sir !!!
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Apr 29, 2019 10:57pm
@Brothers, Cannot tell the difference between GDP and percentage of annual budget? Disturbing !!
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Apr 29, 2019 11:03pm
@Gordon D. Walker, I agree with your perspective as Pakistan has every right to spend to ensure our neighbor to the East does not cross the limit we have set on Feb, 27th. We did this with half in manpower and a fourth in spending shows how efficiently Pakistan spends on its armed forces.
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Apr 29, 2019 11:07pm
@referee , And they lose to China and Pakistan.
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Apr 29, 2019 11:20pm
@referee , According to the report, India's military spending, which rose by 3.1pc between 2017-18, was "largely motivated by tensions and rivalry with Pakistan and China".
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Apr 29, 2019 11:24pm
Germany spends about 49 billion dollars.
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Apr 29, 2019 11:38pm
Slowly and Steadily military spending is going to spend itself to Economic Bankruptcy.
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Apr 29, 2019 11:52pm
@Zak, Yea, right. They lost half the country in 1971 and in 1999 they had to go to Clinton and do a Monica to save their behinds. Recently they seem to have lost an F 16 which they do not even have. Oh, what a calamity. May be they should like us increase their spend to 6% of their GDP (or $180 billlion). Ab, kya hoga Kaliya?
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Apr 30, 2019 12:14am
Put disputes on a back burner, engage in trade and commerce is best recipe for South Asia.
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Apr 30, 2019 12:27am
There is a reason officers in Pakistan are rich. That's where the money ends up.
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Apr 30, 2019 12:30am
@Brothers,
You missed the first sentence of the article which says Pakistan spends 4%. Not 18%.
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Apr 30, 2019 12:36am
@Ghazanfar Ali, indigenous fighter planes? Since when? How many?
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Apr 30, 2019 12:40am
@Asad, how does the military control formal or informal economy? Kindly explain.
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Apr 30, 2019 01:20am
My personal opinion is that Pakistan should do following:
1. Resolve all outstanding issue with Afghanistan, India and Iran (this will reduce defense spending)
2. Focus on Primary and Secondary Education
3. Focus on Health care, potable water
4. Develop Institutions such as independent judiciary, Central Reserve Bank, police reforms etc.
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Apr 30, 2019 01:32am
What is the result of this 10 years investment? Can they export made in Pakistan weapons and cover 50% of their future expense?
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Apr 30, 2019 01:51am
Shows where are the priorities.
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Apr 30, 2019 03:10am
@Ghazanfar Ali, Country needs it with all hostile neighbors. Defence is also an employer and a industry itself. They don’t just employ soldiers but who lot of expertise including countries best researcher.
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Apr 30, 2019 03:12am
What do you expect when you have enemy neighbours
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Apr 30, 2019 03:12am
@Rizwan, they don’t include paramilitary or BSF in their defence budget
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Apr 30, 2019 03:13am
@raj, shooting two indian jets and India shooting its own helicopter proved Pakistan’s parity equation is working
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Apr 30, 2019 03:14am
@RAja Raman, with modi in power - maybe it would have been better the other way round - would have saved two Indian jets at the very least
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Apr 30, 2019 04:05am
@RationalBabu , but these indigenous plane did knocked out two Indians advanced ones!
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Apr 30, 2019 06:17am
@Raheel, what would happen if there were no enemies? No spending?
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Apr 30, 2019 07:12am
@Pure ind, spending $66 billion on arms is money spent wisely? What kind of twisted logic is that when over 400 million Indians live below the poverty line. I think both countries should concentrate on making life better for their poor don’t you?
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Apr 30, 2019 07:28am
@Prateik, They way you are increasing your population (20 million every year) or the way Modi promised to provide 12 million jobs every year to your hundred of millions of poor people. If you can do something, we can do that too?
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Apr 30, 2019 12:35pm
@aslam khan, "What a waste if there was peace." Palestine doesn't spend a penny on military. Is it the most peaceful country in the world?
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Apr 30, 2019 12:41pm
@Satya Jeet, "Slowly and Steadily military spending is going to spend itself to Economic Bankruptcy." And what will happen next? We are not worried with that eventuality, why are you? If you can find the answer, you will understand what we gain from spending on military. There are many things beyond your limited imagination that work in the universe.
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Apr 30, 2019 04:34pm
A poor country like Pakistan, should focus on education and health of public rather than earmarking huge budget for forces.
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Apr 30, 2019 04:36pm
We all know the reason for all these loans and interest payments. Well staged external threats to justify huge defense budget, bringing the nation to its knees.
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Apr 30, 2019 05:20pm
its sad that Pakistan which is cash strapped and borrows to keep up, rather than spending on education, Infrastructure, health, Environment has been spending non-productive machinery. No wonder, it is going to IMF and other countries such as Saudi, UAE, ectc., asking for money
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Apr 30, 2019 06:32pm
@Javed, yeah but the question always is, who can afford.
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Apr 30, 2019 07:18pm
@Concerned, - IMF loan is to be used primarily for servicing existing loans...
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Apr 30, 2019 07:32pm
@Brothers, Pakistan spends 4% of GDP on defence and not 18% as you have written.
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Apr 30, 2019 08:09pm
@ALIG, forget it, Pakistan will never learn
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Apr 30, 2019 08:28pm
That is quite a lot of spending considering the GDP
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Apr 30, 2019 11:47pm
At this rate Pakistan can go bankrupt in next few years without any economy recovery.
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May 01, 2019 06:11am
What %tage if its GDP does Pakistan spends on Health, Welfare and Education.
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May 01, 2019 07:21am
Why not spend on Poverty eradication? South Asia needs this. Please Stop this. Everyone wake up. Funding West with our Poor's money, very sad.
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May 01, 2019 10:35am
Always there should have Balance between military spending and other social spending.
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May 01, 2019 04:04pm
@Gordon D. Walker, There has to be a balance between human development and military.
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May 01, 2019 04:07pm
@Brothers, Pakistan spends 4% of GDP ( looks low) and not 18%. I am surprised at 4%.
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