Kayani calls for lesser spending on defence

Kayani calls for lesser spending on defence

Skardu: (Wednesday, April 18, 2012) Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, General Ashfaq Parvaiz Kayani, during his visit to Skardu, said today that development of the impoverished people was as important as security of the national
border.

He said that instead of diverting its resources to fuel an endless enmity with arch rivals, it was high time priorities were set and moves made for a peaceful coexistence. He was of the view that a harmonious relation between India
and Pakistan was in favour of both the countries.

Condemning the unbridled poverty on both sides of the border, the COAS stressed for the need of diverting necessary resources for the welfare of the people. He said, “Peaceful coexistence between the two neighbours is very important
so that everybody can concentrate on the well-being of the people.

General Kayani was speaking to the journalists at the Skardu Airport after his visit to the Gayari army base in disputed Kashmir which was hit by a massive avalanche on April 7.

He was of the view that the soldiers will do their duty under all circumstance, but defending borders should not be the country’s only priority.

He said, “We in the army understand very well that there should be a very good balance between defence and development. You cannot be spending on defence alone and forgetting about development.”

Maintaining that national security should be a comprehensive concept, Kayani said, “Ultimately the security of a county is not only that you secure boundaries and borders but it is when people that live in the country feel happy,
their needs are met. Only in that case will a country be truly safe. And therefore, we would like to spend less on defence”.

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Posted by Fayyaz Yaseen on Apr 18 2012. Filed under Latest News, Pakistan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry