Pakistan raises defense spending amid regional conflicts
Key takeaways
- The sharp defense spending hike highlights lessons Pakistan has learned from recent conflicts with India and a growing focus on new warfare technologies, regardless of economic constraints imposed by the IMF.
- "Future conflicts will no longer be confined to two adversaries," said Islamabad-based defense analyst Maria Sultan.
- Sultan told DW that wars in Ukraine and the Middle East as well as last year's India-Pakistan conflict — which brought the nuclear-armed neighbors to the brink of all-out war — have reshaped how military planners think.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
The sharp defense spending hike highlights lessons Pakistan has learned from recent conflicts with India and a growing focus on new warfare technologies, regardless of economic constraints imposed by the IMF.
https://p.dw.com/p/5FVWOPakistan's are facing a security environment shaped by India's continuing military modernization Image: Anjum Naveed/AP Photo/picture alliance Advertisement The Pakistani government last week presented a draft budget to lawmakers that hikes defense spending by 18% to 3 trillion rupees ($10.8 billion).
Pakistan's finance minister, Muhammad Aurangzeb, said the increase was intended to make the country "invincible due to the uncertainty in the region." Analysts say key considerations are evolving military technologies and emerging threats.