Key points
- The proposed raise shows 7.49pc increase
- It reflects a more measured approach to budgeting
- Pakistan to present its budget in June 2025
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani government is reportedly planning to increase defence spending by Rs159 billion for the financial year 2025–26, pushing the total allocation to Rs2,281 billion, Pakistan Obsever said.
The newspaper reported that the proposed increase shows 7.49 per cent increase compared to the current fiscal year’s allocation of Rs2,122 billion. The increase is less than the previous year’s hike, when the defence budget moved up by 14.16 per cent, according to Pakistan Observer.
The consistent upward trend in defence spending shows the government’s continued prioritisation of national security, especially as the south Asian nation is facing an uptick in militant attacks in several regions, it added. The security situation also prompted calls for enhanced counterterrorism capabilities, border control, and military preparedness, according to the newspaper.
Fiscal budget
Despite ongoing economic challenges and limited fiscal space, officials indicate that national defence remains paramount in the federal budget, it said. The relatively smaller increase for the upcoming fiscal year, however, reflects a more measured approach to budgeting, balancing security needs with economic pressures, the newspaper maiantined.
The above-mentioned numbers are preliminary along with other allocations, and are expected to be officially unveiled in federal budget presentation scheduled for June 2025, according to Pakistan Observer.
The newspaper added that parts of Pakistan, especially KP and Balochistan, has been ranked second in 2025 Global Terrorism Index, with terrorism-related deaths rising by 45 per cent, in what is said to be largest year-on-year increase in a decade, alongside a surge in terrorist attacks, which more than doubled to 1,099 incidents.
Banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and its splinter groups remained among growing terror groups, responsible for most deaths in Pakistan, it said. The group has intensified its operations, taking advantage of the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, Pakistan Observer said.
