ISLAMABAD: According to official budget documents, the federal government is proposing a more than 114 percent increase in the Ministry of Defence’s development budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2025-26.
The ministry’s allocation is expected to increase from Rs5.386 billion this year to Rs11.554 billion – a move that signals a significant shift in national spending priorities towards defence and security.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs is also set to see its development budget increase from Rs9.78 billion to Rs10.91 billion, with a proposed increase.
However, this defence-oriented approach comes at the expense of several key civilian sectors, which face substantial budget cuts.
The Ministry of Climate Change’s development budget is proposed to be reduced from Rs5.26 billion to Rs2.784 billion.
The Ministry of Information Technology is also facing a severe cut, with its allocation reduced from Rs23.93 billion to Rs13.53 billion.
Similarly, the health and education sectors are also on the chopping block – the health ministry’s budget is being reduced from Rs24.75 billion to Rs15.34 billion, while the education budget is being reduced from Rs20.75 billion to Rs19.68 billion.
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) is proposed to get Rs45 billion, which is significantly less than the Rs61 billion.
The development budget of Pakistan Railways is also being reduced from Rs35 billion to Rs24.51 billion, and the Ministry of Science and Technology may see a reduction from Rs6.65 billion to Rs4.79 billion.
The Ministry of Water Resources will get Rs140 billion in development funds, which is less than the current allocation of Rs170 billion.
The Ministry of Defence Production is also not spared in terms of cuts, with its development budget proposed to be reduced from Rs 2.72 billion to Rs 1.79 billion.
The development budget of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) division is proposed to be reduced from Rs 523.1 million to Rs 503 million.
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