ISLAMABAD, May 26, 2025: Federal Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has said the government will facilitate the armed forces of Pakistan as much as possible, adding that it is not only important for the armed forces but also for Pakistan. He was speaking to media outside a private hotel in Islamabad after an impact finance event.
He shared how the Indian government had tried to derail Pakistan’s loan program with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as well. “Attempts were made to derail the loan program in the IMF board,” he said, “The attempt was not made to hold a meeting Whether Pakistan’s agenda should be discussed or not.” However, the nefarious agenda of India could not bear any fruits because Pakistan has met all IMF targets, Aurangzeb said.
The finance minister is not the first government representative to have signaled an expansion in Pakistan’s military spending. Earlier, on Saturday, Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal had also said that Pakistan will raise its defence budget, in view of the recent escalation by India, and considering that the bilateral relations with India are still tense over Indus Water Treaty suspension.
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In an interview with international media, Ahsan Iqbal said, “Obviously, Pakistan will do anything within its reach to make its defense impregnable.” He said that Pakistan’s military will require more financial resources to defend Pakistan against India’s hegemonistic designs.
Soon after the ceasefire had been reached between India and Pakistan, Senator Faisal Vawda said in a speech in Senate, “We must tighten our belts and reduce the development budget to raise the defence spending.” He advocated for doubling the salaries of the personnel of all armed forces.
MORE REFORMS UNDERWAY
Speaking on the financial reforms currently underway, the finance minister also shared government’s plans to introduce budgetary reforms aimed at reducing burden on the salaried class. He reiterated that Pakistan’s economy is now on the road to recovery, saying “Economic stability has come to Pakistan; the world is surprised at the pace of our development”.
He said that in the coming fiscal year, the government will also focus on improving transparency, an for that corruption and theft needs to be stopped. “The only way to stop it is to end human intervention from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR),” he added.
He said the government is also considering pension reforms. “We’re reviewing the current state of the pension sector to address longstanding issues and prevent further complications.” He added that these matters are part of broader structural reforms “which can set our economy on a path to sustainable growth.”
