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ISLAMABAD: The PML-N is fully aware of the country’s defence needs and only wants greater transparency in the use of defence budget because of the poor economic conditions prevailing in the country, the party’s spokesman Ahsan Iqbal said here on Sunday.
Talking to this reporter, he said some members of the PPP were wrongly saying that the opposition wanted to force a cut in the defence budget.
Mr Iqbal, who had in his budget speech in the National Assembly on Saturday severely criticised former army generals for imposing martial laws, said Rs1,000 billion was being spent on debt servicing and retirement and Rs800 billion on security-related expenditure and the two heads consumed the entire tax proceeds.
He said the cost of running the federal government and the development budget had to be met by borrowing.
This position, he said, was not healthy by any means and, therefore, “it is essential that for every rupee spent in the public sector, whether civil or military, there
should be absolute transparency and accountability to ensure greater value for money”.
The PML-N leader said the country was facing an extraordinary security situation and the resources required to cope with the challenges had to be provided, but “we can’t afford huge military budgets without having a coherent national security strategy which includes economic, social, political and diplomatic dimensions”.
He said the PML-N “respects national security institutions and wants to see them equipped with professional excellence and limited to the role outlined in our Constitution”.
“The jawans and officers committed to safeguarding the sovereignty of the country are our pride.
“Politicisation of security institutions in the past badly hurt both the military and the country and adversely impacted their morale,” he said.
“It is unfortunate that the PPP has assumed the role of the Q-League of trying to appease the military by being more loyal than the king.”
