Perspective is absolutely vital when trying to analyze and understand the issue at hand.
Lets apply it with some numbers here-
Pakistan 2009 budget - $30.05 Billion
Percentage of aid in the budget greater than 10%.
Pakistan Revenues $23.21 Billion (2009 est.)
Percentage of aid to revenues about 14%.
Pakistan budget deficit was 6.84b.
Aid contributed to about 47% of it. Rest was funded by IMF on not so favorable terms. Alreday Pakistan has loans of 40% of its GDP and 250% of its tax collections.
If not for aid Pakistan would probably go bankrupt as nobody has agreed to help it out despite its leaders making public cries for help to friends.
Perspective indeed.
P.S.- Before some one comes squirming about 2009 figures used, take the trouble googling for 2010 budget, it has actually shrunk in dollar terms, so the aid gets even more important.
India also receives the highest DFID aid in the world: