NA body okays 18 percent hike in defence budget

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ISLAMABAD – The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Defence on Thursday recommended an 18 percent increase in the defence budget for the year of 2011-1012.
MNA Haider Ali Shah, a member of the committee, told Pakistan Today that the committee was given a presentation on the budget proposals for the next year, adding that it was briefed that the devaluation of the rupee and the expenditure in operations conducted in Swat, Bajaur and South Waziristan were major reasons for the budget increase.
Shah said the committee was also briefed that 60 percent of the US funding was allocated to the armed forces while 40 percent was for the civilian government. However, he added, the army wanted to give most of its share to the civilian government and only 18 percent increase in the defence budget was proposed.