Hizbul Ahrar claim responsibility for today's cross border attack from Afghanistan

[Hermoine Green]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Hizbul Ahrar has claimed responsibility for today's VBIED motorcycle blast in Chaman. Hizb's statement said the target was a Pakistani military convoy. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pakistan?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pakistan</a></p>— F. Jeffery 👁 (@Natsecjeff) <a href="https://twitter.com/Natsecjeff/status/1102629173347188736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Hizbul Ahrar also claimed responsibility for today's cross-border attack against Pakistani military posts from Afghanistan. Hizb's statement said its fighters in AFG kept Pak forces engaged while Hizb's assassins shot dead two Pak security personnel traveling on a motorcycle.</p>— F. Jeffery 👁 (@Natsecjeff) <a href="https://twitter.com/Natsecjeff/status/1102630156714299400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">SITREP Pakistan RECAP: <br><br>Hizbul Ahrar claimed two attacks in Pakistan today: <br><br>1. Motorcycle VBIED blast in Chaman, claiming the target was a military convoy. <br><br>2. Cross-border attack from AFG targeting Pak military posts combined with an assassination of 2 troopers within Pak. <a href="https://t.co/F16KFATBVj">https://t.co/F16KFATBVj</a></p>— F. Jeffery 👁 (@Natsecjeff) <a href="https://twitter.com/Natsecjeff/status/1102630971466285058?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2019</a></blockquote>
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[Syed1]

India activating their assets in Afghanistan after they themselves got a bloody nose in face-to-face interaction.

 

[slipcatch]

As expected.

 

[szundercover]

Allah is indeed the best of all planners.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Modi's terrorist foot soldiers have come to help him.

PAF should just cross the border and destroy them all. Pak can then use the narrative of Yanks and Indians they are only doing the same but instead of killing innocent people and trees actually hit the enemy.

 

[Prince of Pakistan]

And then you wonder why 50% of Pakistan's budget goes to the military.

 

[szundercover]

And then you wonder why 50% of Pakistan's budget goes to the military.

It should be more then that in the current situation.

 

[Prince of Pakistan]

It should be more then that in the current situation.

Pak has had to deal with these enemies for years. So the army is already prepared and also must have some reserves with this much allowance every year.

 

[a_tahir]

And then you wonder why 50% of Pakistan's budget goes to the military.

With countries like Afghanistan, israel and India around us. Our budget should be a bit more.

 

[Fahdi]

And then you wonder why 50% of Pakistan's budget goes to the military.

It doesn't though

 

[troodon]

How many hizb’s are there? Every other day I hear a new hizb.

 

[troodon]

Modi's terrorist foot soldiers have come to help him.

PAF should just cross the border and destroy them all. Pak can then use the narrative of Yanks and Indians they are only doing the same but instead of killing innocent people and trees actually hit the enemy.

Prove that Modi and India did it.

This is just like India blaming Pak for everything that happens in Kashmir.

 

[Pakpak]

Prove that Modi and India did it.

This is just like India blaming Pak for everything that happens in Kashmir.

The dozens of Indian consulates near our border is proof enough. There is no need for India to have so many consulates in a broken up country. I mean calling it a country is being kind to it. This would be akin to China opening up 12 consulates in Azad Kashmir.

 

[Lonewarrior]

nothing to worry, if India hav thre assets in Afghanistan thn Pakistan also hav..

 

[Fahdi]

And then you wonder why 50% of Pakistan's budget goes to the military.

It should be more then that in the current situation.

With countries like Afghanistan, israel and India around us. Our budget should be a bit more.

Pakistan's military budget makes up 3-3.5% of the GDP. Our total budget is around 360 billion USD, the military takes up about 10-13 billion USD out of that. This propaganda of how the military eats up the majority of the budget is so pervasive that even the promilitary folks don't know the truth.

This is from the world bank, search Pakistan in the list. It shows the military spending was 3.5% of the GDP in 2017.
https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/MS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS

Total defense affair spending as a percentage of the total budget comes out to be around 18% of the budget.

The highest military budget that we have had, as a percentage of total budget, was in the 1960s when it went as high as 42-45%.

Here's an article upon this very misconception published by The News( Jhang group) of all people.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thenews.com.pk/amp/310296-the-defence-budget

You want to know the actual thing that eats up half the budget? Debt servicing.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Prove that Modi and India did it.

This is just like India blaming Pak for everything that happens in Kashmir.

We have the Indian spy in custody and a lot of evidence regarding him and his activities has been shown at the ICJ hearing. Perhaps you should try less bollywood and more news? This attack has just taken place. Besides Pakistan is not like India which goes begging the world for help against terrorists, it will deal with them as it has done for the past 10 years.

 

[slipcatch]

Pakistan's military budget makes up 3-3.5% of the GDP. Our total budget is around 360 billion USD, the military takes up about 10-13 billion USD out of that. This propaganda of how the military eats up the majority of the budget is so pervasive that even the promilitary folks don't know the truth.

This is from the world bank, search Pakistan in the list. It shows the military spending was 3.5% of the GDP in 2017.
https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/MS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS

Total defense affair spending as a percentage of the total budget comes out to be around 18% of the budget.

The highest military budget that we have had, as a percentage of total budget, was in the 1960s when it went as high as 42-45%.

Here's an article upon this very misconception published by The News( Jhang group) of all people.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thenews.com.pk/amp/310296-the-defence-budget

You want to know the actual thing that eats up half the budget? Debt servicing.

We were told that Pakistan military personals are billionaire by our resident of Indian origin.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

How many hizb’s are there? Every other day I hear a new hizb.

It's a good way to fight a proxy war. Fund a couple of shady assassins and tell them to call themselves Hisb ul this or that, and hey presto, you have yourselves a false flag attack.

 

[Pakpak]

Pakistan's military budget makes up 3-3.5% of the GDP. Our total budget is around 360 billion USD, the military takes up about 10-13 billion USD out of that. This propaganda of how the military eats up the majority of the budget is so pervasive that even the promilitary folks don't know the truth.

This is from the world bank, search Pakistan in the list. It shows the military spending was 3.5% of the GDP in 2017.
https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/MS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS

Total defense affair spending as a percentage of the total budget comes out to be around 18% of the budget.

The highest military budget that we have had, as a percentage of total budget, was in the 1960s when it went as high as 42-45%.

Here's an article upon this very misconception published by The News( Jhang group) of all people.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thenews.com.pk/amp/310296-the-defence-budget

You want to know the actual thing that eats up half the budget? Debt servicing.

Is it okay if I use this post on my social media accounts

 

[Fahdi]

Is it okay if I use this post on my social media accounts

Go ahead but you might want to check for some minor mistakes here and there. I am a bit sleepy and didn't check the details thoroughly enough.

 

[Fahdi]

We were told that Pakistan military personals are billionaire by our resident of Indian origin.

The only billionaires in the army became so from other means or belong to military families i.e. those who have been in the armed forces for at least 3 or more generations. The practice of distributing land among the retired army officers was started by the British and in those days they used to hand over huge chunks of it. Those who got land in the British raj and soon after independence became rich because now the price of land has sky rocketed and they have developed it a great deal.

The salaries and pensions of armed forces is the same as the government service, the army provides extra welfare by giving a house or apartment after retirement, free medical for life. The high ranking officers like Col and above get an extra plot in DHA etc.

I don't know much about Generals but I think they get a bit extra but even with all that it's impossible to end up a billionaire. Maybe they can build up wealth up to 10-20 crore but that's about it.

 

[Gabbar Singh]

Pakistan's military budget makes up 3-3.5% of the GDP. Our total budget is around 360 billion USD, the military takes up about 10-13 billion USD out of that. This propaganda of how the military eats up the majority of the budget is so pervasive that even the promilitary folks don't know the truth.

This is from the world bank, search Pakistan in the list. It shows the military spending was 3.5% of the GDP in 2017.
https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/MS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS

Total defense affair spending as a percentage of the total budget comes out to be around 18% of the budget.

The highest military budget that we have had, as a percentage of total budget, was in the 1960s when it went as high as 42-45%.

Here's an article upon this very misconception published by The News( Jhang group) of all people.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thenews.com.pk/amp/310296-the-defence-budget

You want to know the actual thing that eats up half the budget? Debt servicing.

Expressing it as a % of GDP is misleading.

Pakistan (and India) both spend a fortune on defence and it's undeniable that it holds back the progress of both countries.

Pakistan spends almost 20% of their total budget outlay on defence (And that doesn't include pensions for retired military folk)

https://www.dawn.com/news/1335574/defence-budget-set-at-rs9202bn-for-fy2017-18

India's figure is around 10%.

If this continues in years to come how can one expect to make the economic progress that politicians from both sides of the border promise?

 

[Fahdi]

Expressing it as a % of GDP is misleading.

Pakistan (and India) both spend a fortune on defence and it's undeniable that it holds back the progress of both countries.

Pakistan spends almost 20% of their total budget outlay on defence (And that doesn't include pensions for retired military folk)

https://www.dawn.com/news/1335574/defence-budget-set-at-rs9202bn-for-fy2017-18

India's figure is around 10%.

If this continues in years to come how can one expect to make the economic progress that politicians from both sides of the border promise?

I gave the GDP figure because that's how the world bank displayed it. I wanted to give a credible source so I used that.

I did write the budget percentage as 18%. The figures you shared(19.36%) were after a big increase, usually its around the 18% mark.

The point of the post is to counter the propaganda. "The military eats up half the budget" is a very common line that gets thrown around by almost everyone be they politicians, journalists or common folk. I have met army officers who thought the military budget was as high as 40%. There was controversy when text books for schools were printed which said that the country's development is hampered because 80% of the budget goes to the military.

Yes such a high budget is not a good thing but Pakistan's situation is precarious. Pakistan faces a multitude of threats and has to meet the criteria of credible deterrence. The current saga has demonstrated why the budget is at least somewhat justified.

 

[PakLFC]

It is India no doubt about it. Pak will pay them back in IOK hence the violence will continue.

 

[Napa]

Pakistan's military budget makes up 3-3.5% of the GDP. Our total budget is around 360 billion USD, the military takes up about 10-13 billion USD out of that. This propaganda of how the military eats up the majority of the budget is so pervasive that even the promilitary folks don't know the truth.

This is from the world bank, search Pakistan in the list. It shows the military spending was 3.5% of the GDP in 2017.
https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/MS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS

Total defense affair spending as a percentage of the total budget comes out to be around 18% of the budget.

The highest military budget that we have had, as a percentage of total budget, was in the 1960s when it went as high as 42-45%.

Here's an article upon this very misconception published by The News( Jhang group) of all people.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thenews.com.pk/amp/310296-the-defence-budget

You want to know the actual thing that eats up half the budget? Debt servicing.

Interesting numbers, thanks for sharing. Your two sources do contradict each other. WB says that India spends 2.49% of its GDP on defense, while Pakistan spends 3.50%. The News article however claims "Pakistan spends a very high percentage of its GDP on defence. Not true. There are at least four dozen countries that spend a higher percentage of their GDPs on defence. They include: India...".

The only billionaires in the army became so from other means or belong to military families i.e. those who have been in the armed forces for at least 3 or more generations. The practice of distributing land among the retired army officers was started by the British and in those days they used to hand over huge chunks of it. Those who got land in the British raj and soon after independence became rich because now the price of land has sky rocketed and they have developed it a great deal.

The salaries and pensions of armed forces is the same as the government service, the army provides extra welfare by giving a house or apartment after retirement, free medical for life. The high ranking officers like Col and above get an extra plot in DHA etc.

I don't know much about Generals but I think they get a bit extra but even with all that it's impossible to end up a billionaire. Maybe they can build up wealth up to 10-20 crore but that's about it.

The word I had used was "millionaire", not "billionaire", but the word "billionaire" is accurate if you are measuring wealth in Pakistani Rupees. According to the following article "The most senior 100 military officials are estimated to be worth, at the very least, £3.5 billion", that is an average of PKR 6.44 billion or $40.6 million per general.

https://www.spectator.co.uk/2008/01/the-military-millionaires-who-control-pakistan-inc/

Keep in mind that these figures are from 2008, so in current PKR terms these numbers could be 30% to 50% higher if the structure of the economy has remained unchanged.

Also, it appears that the PSEs (the second most expenditure after debt servicing) provide retired military officers sinecures, so at least some of their losses should be attributed to the military. To say nothing of the losses in economic efficiency due to people not qualified running large firms in the economy.

Debt servicing is something that unavoidable, given past expenditures. And new debt finances current expenditures.

 

[Fahdi]

Pakistan's military budget makes up 3-3.5% of the GDP. Our total budget is around 360 billion USD, the military takes up about 10-13 billion USD out of that. This propaganda of how the military eats up the majority of the budget is so pervasive that even the promilitary folks don't know the truth.

This is from the world bank, search Pakistan in the list. It shows the military spending was 3.5% of the GDP in 2017.
https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/MS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS

Total defense affair spending as a percentage of the total budget comes out to be around 18% of the budget.

The highest military budget that we have had, as a percentage of total budget, was in the 1960s when it went as high as 42-45%.

Here's an article upon this very misconception published by The News( Jhang group) of all people.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thenews.com.pk/amp/310296-the-defence-budget

You want to know the actual thing that eats up half the budget? Debt servicing.

People should ignore this line. I think I mixed up multiple figures, as I said I was tired at the time. Our budget in total is something like 5.1-5.2 trillion and the total defense and military spending is something like 900-950 billion. The dawn article by Gabbar also gave similar figures I think. 18-19% of the budget would be the correct figure.