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CAFs cant buy weapons due to financial constraints
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
By Rauf Klasra
ISLAMABAD: The Interior Ministry has made a shocking disclosure, saying due to serious financial constraints, Pakistan cannot purchase all the "required weapons" for its civil armed forces to fight "well-equipped" Taliban militants in the tribal areas and other parts of the country.
The disclosure was made in the last meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) when the Ministry of Interior submitted a summary, seeking exemption from taxes and customs duties on the import of weapons/ ammunition for the civil armed forces. The shortage of funds is surprising if viewed against the claims of the Americans that they had been pumping millions of dollars in Pakistan every year since 9/11 to equip the Pakistani forces for fighting against the militants.
In the light of this disclosure, one can only wonder where those billions of dollars given by the Americans to the Musharraf regime during the past seven years have gone, an official said.
The Interior Ministry had moved a summary in the ECC with the request to waive off the duties on the import of weapons. But, sources said, after some serious reservations raised by the participants of the meeting, the ECC did not accord the request of the ministry on the grounds that this kind of provision was not available in the newly-approved finance bill and amendments would be required in the bill to grant the concession. However, the ECC asked the ministry to submit a request for supplementary grants to meet the cost of duties on the weapons being imported from foreign countries.
The Interior Ministry officials had told the ECC that the civil armed forces, including the Pakistan Rangers, the Frontier Constabulary, the Northern Area Scouts and the Pakistan Coast Guards, are working under the administrative control of the Ministry of Interior through an act of parliament.
These forces are fighting a well-equipped militant force in the tribal areas. Therefore, they need modern weapons to ward off the threat posed by the militants. However, owing to financial constraints of the federal government, we cannot purchase all the essential equipment, writes the Interior Ministry in its summary to the ECC.
CAFs cant buy weapons due to financial constraints
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
By Rauf Klasra
ISLAMABAD: The Interior Ministry has made a shocking disclosure, saying due to serious financial constraints, Pakistan cannot purchase all the "required weapons" for its civil armed forces to fight "well-equipped" Taliban militants in the tribal areas and other parts of the country.
The disclosure was made in the last meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) when the Ministry of Interior submitted a summary, seeking exemption from taxes and customs duties on the import of weapons/ ammunition for the civil armed forces. The shortage of funds is surprising if viewed against the claims of the Americans that they had been pumping millions of dollars in Pakistan every year since 9/11 to equip the Pakistani forces for fighting against the militants.
In the light of this disclosure, one can only wonder where those billions of dollars given by the Americans to the Musharraf regime during the past seven years have gone, an official said.
The Interior Ministry had moved a summary in the ECC with the request to waive off the duties on the import of weapons. But, sources said, after some serious reservations raised by the participants of the meeting, the ECC did not accord the request of the ministry on the grounds that this kind of provision was not available in the newly-approved finance bill and amendments would be required in the bill to grant the concession. However, the ECC asked the ministry to submit a request for supplementary grants to meet the cost of duties on the weapons being imported from foreign countries.
The Interior Ministry officials had told the ECC that the civil armed forces, including the Pakistan Rangers, the Frontier Constabulary, the Northern Area Scouts and the Pakistan Coast Guards, are working under the administrative control of the Ministry of Interior through an act of parliament.
These forces are fighting a well-equipped militant force in the tribal areas. Therefore, they need modern weapons to ward off the threat posed by the militants. However, owing to financial constraints of the federal government, we cannot purchase all the essential equipment, writes the Interior Ministry in its summary to the ECC.
CAFs cant buy weapons due to financial constraints
