News
Sunday, June 05, 2011
Rs50 billion set aside for war on terror
ISLAMABAD: The federal government has allocated Rs 150 billion in the budget 2011-12 for three strategic programmes of the country, including Rs 80 billion for the Armed Forces Development Plan (AFDP), Rs 50 billion for war against terrorism and Rs 20 billion for armed forces’ participation in the UN peace keeping missions, official sources informed Daily Times on Saturday. Sources explained that the AFDP was launched during the tenure of the former prime minister, Shaukat Aziz, with the aim to modernize the armed forces and equip them with latest aircrafts, planes used for reconnaissance, submarines and other sophisticated weapons with war technologies and equipments.
“The government has been allocating around $1.2 billion annually for this strategic plan during the last few years and now due to tight fiscal position of the country the government has made an allocation of Rs 80 billion for this purpose in the budget 2011-12,” the sources elaborated. According to sources, AFDP is to continue till 2025 to so that the armed forces of the country could remain at par with other armies around the world in terms of modern weapons and war equipments. “However, it’s a medium term phase to be completed by 2019,” the sources explained. Armed forces of the country have been engaged in rooting out militancy from the country for the last few years under the banner of ‘Operation Almizan’, and the government has been allocating sizeable amount for the purpose. To supplement efforts of three components of the armed forces against war on terrorism, the government has earmarked Rs 50 billion for the Operation Almizan for the year 2011-12. sajid chaudhry
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk