'Voluntary cut' in military budget won't be at the cost of country's defence, security'

RAWALPINDI: Director General Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor has said “voluntary cut” in the military budget for a year wouldn’t be at the cost of the defence and security of the country.     

“We shall maint[ain] effective response potential to all threats. Three services will manage impact of the cut through appropriate internal measures. It was imp to participate in dev[opment] of tribal areas & Bln,” he said in a tweet.

Voluntary cut in def budget for a year will not be at the cost of def & security. We shall maint effective response potential to all threats.Three services will manage impact of the cut through appropriate internal measures. It was imp to participate in dev of tribal areas & Bln.

— Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) June 4, 2019

His tweet followed on the heels of an announcement by Prime Minister Imran Khan who said that the top brass of the Pakistan military had agreed to a ‘voluntary initiative’ for not receiving any rise under defence budget.

The premier praised the military troops for its decision. PM Khan said that he appreciates Pakistan military for ‘unprecedented voluntary initiative of stringent cuts in their defence expenditures for next FY [fiscal year] bec [because] of our critical financial situation, despite multiple security challenges.’

The premier announced to spend the saved money for the development of merged tribal areas (erstwhile Federal Administered Tribal Areas) and specifically Balochistan.

I appreciate Pak Mil’s unprecedented voluntary initiative of stringent cuts in their defence expenditures for next FY bec of our critical financial situation, despite multiple security challenges. My govt will spend this money saved on dev of merged tribal areas & Balochistan.

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) June 4, 2019