Pakistan defence budget to go up by Rs.30 bn

By IANS

Islamabad : The Pakistani government is to increase its defence budget for the 2007-08 fiscal year by Rs.30 billion to about Rs.280 billion.


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Quoting reliable sources, Online news agency reported Tuesday that the defence ministry had sought Rs.300 billion budget for fulfilling the requirements of the armed forces and had sent a recommendation to this effect to the finance ministry.

The sources, however, said the budget would be pegged at Rs.277-Rs.280 billion.

Pakistan's defence budget for fiscal 2006-07 was Rs.250.2 billion or 2.8 percent of the GDP.

The sources said it was yet to be decided whether the amount required for purchasing the JF-17 Thunder jet jointly developed with China and F-16 fighters from the US would be earmarked in the budget or whether a separate allocation would be made.

A decision on this would be taken at a meeting to be chaired by President Pervez Musharraf and attended among others by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.

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