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.
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.