With one eye on the International Monetary Fund and the other on voters, Finance Minister of then Miftah Ismail on proposed last year a Rs9.5 trillion inflationary budget for the fiscal year of 2022-2023 amid a daunting challenge to meet ambitious targets.
A major chunk of the budget –the Rs5.45 trillion or nearly 58% of the budget – were proposed to be spent only on two heads – debt servicing and defense. There was an alarming increase of over Rs806 billion or 26% increase in debt servicing cost in just a year.
Some Groups, elements and people immediately start commenting their remarks on our spending on Pak Army which is unrealistic and unfair. I received very interesting data and information from a very reliable and kind source and also seen a social media post of Mr. Shahid Khan. As the details are very comprehensive and of much importance to counter false speculation against Army so I am presenting it as it is to the readers for differentiating between wrong and write.
According to the information, If we divide the amount we give to the army by the population, each person pays about 290 rupees per month to the army for their security. Apart from this Rs 190 per month we also pay for tanks, fighter jets, ships, and missiles etc. Undoubtedly, we pay this money by cutting our belly so that the army will protect us in case of external attack.
Then the author further says that In addition, we cut our stomachs and pay a lot. For example, we pay Rs 1000 per person per month to mobile companies so that we can talk and enjoy internet. We spend about Rs 700 per capita per month on education and health out of tax money. Apart from these, privately we pay an average of Rs 2000 per family per month to doctors and Rs 3000 to private educational institutions so that we can study and be treated. On an average we pay around Rs 3000 for electricity per family. We also pay Rs 4000 per family per month towards fuel and rents. We pay Rs.2550 per person per month to all government departments including Judiciary, Parliament, Police and others. Apart from all these, we also pay 600 rupees per person per month as interest on loans. And we also pay cable fee of Rs.500 per month per family to watch dramas.
According to author, we pay all these amounts by cutting our stomach. We feel that all categories to which we are paying and spending money are doing their part of job honestly but the one who is not doing it in return is Pak Army. There is an impression from few sides that because of the payment we are making to the army, we remain hungry, otherwise if we spend this 290 rupees on ourselves, we can buy two kilos of flour every month, half a kilo of ghee or one kilo of lentils so according to that group we suffer the most on this amount. By the way, army also pays the highest tax in Pakistan. Military families also live in the same system, they also pay taxes like the public. If all that tax is collected and deducted from the amount paid to the army, the amount paid to the army may be Rs.250. It should also be remembered that the necks of these soldiers are cut to make the 290 rupees we pay by cutting their bellies.
Authors further added and I believe that these are feelings of the whole nation that we are not the odd nation of the world in this matter. This is how it is done all over the world. Rather, our army is one of the least-spending forces in the world, despite facing huge threats and being challenged by the world’s major powers. So we should feel proud on having such a dedicated and devoted army which is serving us in very less pay off and spending.
In one of his social media post Shahid Khan wrote that it is said that human history is made of wars. Wars are commanded by soldiers. Perhaps that is why the most and the biggest names in history are found only for the soldiers. Among the kings, the names of those kings who commanded the wars are alive in history. It is also true that after the head of state, the most important post in the world is that of the army chief and the most important adviser to the prime minister or the president is the army chief of the country. This series continues even today. In a Superpower like the United States, the largest and most important organization after the White House is the Pentagon, and the White House never rejects the Pentagon’s disagreement.
He added that Officers were given grades by the British, after which the grade of Army Chief in the subcontinent was declared as 22. If this had been done thousands of years ago, all the great Army Heads of history would have been called 22 grade officers. Among them are Alexander the Great, Cyrus, Hannibal, our great Companions including Hazrat Omar Farooq and Hazrat Khalid Bin Waleed. Muhammad bin Qasim, Ghaznavi, Ghori, Tipu Sultan were also Army Heads, so they would also called grade 22 officers? You may object that some of them were rulers of their respective countries. Then what about Pervez Musharraf, General Zia and Ayub Khan? They were also rulers. If you secondly object that no, they seized power by force, then read our history before the British. Except for the Caliphs of the Rashideens, all the rest either seized power by force or inherited the rule.
Author further says that if Army Chief is really an untimely grade 22 officer, why does Imran Khan garland the name of this grade 22 officer? According to PTI, the hope of the entire nation is Imran Khan. But why is Imran Khan pinning all his hopes on this 22 grade officer?
Readers, I and the whole nations agrees with the author and we admit that Imran Khan and allies opened verbal fire on Army based on false stances. Firing broadside at the former military command, ex-prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan claimed that ex- chief of army staff (COAS) General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa asked him to decry the Russian invasion of Ukraine soon after his return from Moscow. Giving details about his talks with the ex-army chief, the ousted premier said: “I talked to Russian President Vladimir Putin about procurement of oil at cheaper rates but when I returned to Pakistan, then chief of army staff asked me to condemn Russia’s attack on Ukraine.” In an address, Khan who was removed from power via no-confidence in April last year said when he advised Bajwa to stay “neutral” like India in the matter but the ex-army chief himself started condemning Russia. Imran Khan Said “A grade-22 officer made a foreign policy statement during a seminar to please the US,” the deposed prime minister said. He went on to say that the country would have to face the consequences when decisions were made to please Washington.
Dear Readers, this is an illogical argument. The army chief of the country is the most powerful person after the head of the country that controls all the fighting power of the state. So it cannot be ignored or neglected.
In the last lines Author says that by the way, it is reported that the Chief Justice is also a 22 grade officer whom PTI has declared as his everything. What do you think about it? If you say no, he is justice provider, isn’t it? Well then, on the same principle, it is a protector, right?
Readers, based on these details and information it is quite evident that all baseless and false propaganda against Army and Army Chiefs is wrong and is just to gain the personal political interests of few elements. This shameful stance doesn’t resemble the voice of whole nation which fully stands on the back of our brave Army.