Pakistan's Budget Boost for Military Amid Chinese Security Demands

The Pakistan government approved an additional budget of Rs 45 billion for its armed forces to protect Chinese commercial interests and manage border security. This decision follows increased security concerns linked to CPEC projects and China's request for anti-terrorism cooperation.

The Pakistan government has decided to allocate an extra Rs 45 billion to its armed forces, primarily to bolster their capacity to protect Chinese commercial interests within the country and manage border security efforts. This allocation, approved by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) chaired by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, highlights the strategic emphasis placed on foreign commercial interests and national security.

The Express Tribune reported that Rs 35.4 billion would be distributed to the military, while Rs 9.5 billion would go to the navy for diverse operational exigencies. This technical supplementary grant is intended to fund projects already sanctioned during the current fiscal year, marking the second substantial supplementary grant following a previous Rs 60 billion allocation for Operation Azm-e-Istehkam.

Amid rising terrorist activities, China has urged the implementation of an anti-terrorism agreement to secure its economic interests, primarily under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework. Phase I of CPEC saw the completion of significant infrastructure projects worth USD 25.2 billion, with subsequent projects encountering delays due to security concerns.

(With inputs from agencies.)