Pakistan’s Armed Forces are keeping up with the government’s efforts to tide over the country’s economic woes. With the nation plunged into economic crisis and mounting debt, the Armed Forces have now begun undertaking austerity measures.
Republic TV has learned that the Pakistan Army has not demanded any additional funds in the current financial year 2022-23 budget, as per the practice. This year’s defense budget is said to be only 16% of the national budget, falling from the previous 20%.
Additionally, the Pakistan Army has also decided to undertake big measures on its part to stabilize the economy, one of which is to scale down military exercises. The forces are attempting to be ‘operationally efficient’ in the given resources for which they have decided to avoid drills in far-off places. Instead of going to remote areas for large training exercises and training, it has been decided to conduct small-scale training near the cantonments, as per a report in The Nation.
Pak Army to observe ‘dry day’ to save fuel
The Pakistan Army is also trying to minimise its utility bills including electricity, gas, and water. To save petrol and diesel, every Friday will be observed as a ‘dry day’ where only emergency-related work will be carried out and all government-related transport will be halted.
It has also been decided that a lot of the work would be shifted online including conferences and other important issues in a bid to reduce unnecessary mobility, which would save the precious reserves of the national exchequer. As per the report, a number of agreements have been executed in local currency for the purchase of military equipment in order to save foreign exchange reserves.
Moreover, the Rs 6 billion saved by the Pakistan Army in the last financial year in lieu of the COVID-19 fund will be returned to the debt-ridden government. The Armed Forces are also said to have saved about Rs 3.5 billion from the amount allotted in the previous budget for the purchase of military equipment, which has also been returned to the national treasury, the report said.