More bang for the buck.

Byline: Ikram Sehgal

WHILE I was in uniform on Sep 6, 1965 it was in the relative safe confines of the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) Kakul. It was quite emotional witnessing the gentleman cadets (GCs) of the 32nd and 33rd PMA Long Courses graduate in a ceremonial 'Passing Out' parade under the cover of PAF combat aircraft on Sep 11, 1965 (many of those commissioned young officers (YOs) would be Shaheed or injured within 12 days by the time ceasefire took effect on Sep 23). The many Shaheeds, particularly in 1971 and the last two decades of counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism where our casualties have been substantial, does lead one to ask whether, we have utilised our entire resources to their maximum potential in preparing for war and/or even for peacetime? Like it happened 54 years earlier, the current situation developing over Kashmir is quickly diminishing our options, we may have no choice but to go to war. When will we get out of the comfort zone of maintaining status quo when our very existence is threatened?

Pakistan is passing through a very critical phase as far as the economy is concerned. The rot started with Zardari's PPP's blatantly corrupt regime in 2008 and continued unabated with Nawaz Sharif taking over in 2013. That they are crooks is not a matter of conjecture or of doubt, the question is whether our judiciary can satisfy their conscience that they are playing with the wording of the rule of law while clever lawyers well paid out of ill-go then gains are subverting the spirit of the law? Did all our young men die for their country in vain? The fathering economy is badly eroded the security needs of the country, becoming worse by the day. Economy and security being closely linked with each other only out-of-the-box thinking can rectify this situation, the dire need for Pakistan is to break out of the traditional mould and the status quo. While increasing of revenues is a must, we must look at all means to effect savings and force-multiply the effectiveness of the changes, in effect get 'more bang for the buck'.

The defence-related expenditure has swelled phenomenally because of pension and commutation thereof. Today this is in excess of Rs 250 billion. It does not matter which head this expense is parked in, for accounting purposes, the money has to come from revenues. Continued expansion of this expense will leave little for security expenditures in coming decade, how will we sustain this in the future? A significant portion of the national budget every year goes for 'pension commutation' of the retiring personnel. A plan to make the pension fund self-sustaining needs a separate and detailed study. Since Armed Forces personnel retire much earlier than their civilian counterparts they can still contribute to national life without becoming a burden on the national exchequer. Ironically there are diametrically opposed...