The Awami Shehri Mahaz (ASM) held a protest demanding accountability and audit of the defence budget in front of the Punjab Assembly (PA) on Thursday.
A large number of trade union leaders, students, civil society activists and progressive political workers participated in the protest. Protesters were carrying banners calling for presentation of the defence budget in parliament.
The placards, carried by the protestors, were inscribed with slogans against the unaccountable defence budget and US funding of the army. Protesters criticised the military’s “economic empire” and demanded a 50 percent reduction in the defence budget.
Protesters said that many incidents have occurred in Pakistan in recent days and the defence budget could not be unaccountable anymore. For the last 63 years, a huge amount had been spent on the sixth largest army of the world, which has denied provision of basic necessities to the people.
The ASM demanded that after reducing the defence budget by 50 percent, the remaining amount should be spent on promoting social welfare and ensuring education and health for all.
Protesters said that developed countries concentrate on economic issues and a peaceful environment but in Pakistan, both goals have not been achieved yet.
They said that terrorism, inflation, poor health care and unemployment are the biggest enemies of the common man due to which a big budgetary portion should be spent on promoting social welfare.
Talking to Pakistan Today, Labour Party Pakistan spokesman Farooq Tariq said, “The military is almost everywhere in every business in our country. I totally oppose the present military budget and demand a minimum ten percent reduction in it.”
Citizen Kashif Aslam said that there is no difference between the past and present governments, as both were spending less than five percent budget on social welfare.
He criticised the federal and provincial government’s policies and demanded an audit of the defence budget. Workers Party Pakistan’s (WPP) Muhammad Ali Jan said that until the defence budget’s role in keeping Pakistan poor is highlighted, the government’s claim of pursuing people-friendly policies would not have any moral ground.
Institute of Peace and Secular Studies’ (IPSS) Diep Saeeda, National Students Federation’s Irfan Chaudhry and Sarmad Aziz, Progressive Youth Front’s (PYF) Ahsan Bhatti and Murtaza Bajwa particpated in the protest. A protest was also held in Islamabad by the ASM at the same time.
Nobody should be above the law including armed forces of Pakistan. Armed Forces should be accountable for any penny they spend. Poor masses taxes collected on merchandise they purchase from shops or through other means is spent on lavish lifestyle of Armed Forces. Most of Canttonments have Golf Courses. Drastic perks and subsidies including Defence Housing Socitieties, Fouji, Shaheen, Bahria foundations business empires, Askari Banks should be withdrawn and this money should be spent on health and education of Poor Pakistanies.
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