Last Update: February 23, 2023, 15:01 IST
Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif said that he had requested the judiciary to cut down on expenditure. (File photo/Reuters)
Shehbaz Sharif said that the army will inform the Pakistan government about its non-combat expenditure after which a decision will be taken.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said he has requested the army to cut its non-combat expenditure, a day after announcing austerity measures amid a deepening economic crisis.
PM Shahbaz said that the army will tell about its non-combat expenditure to the Pakistani government, after which a decision will be taken.
The Pakistan government on Wednesday announced measures such as not taking salaries of cabinet ministers and advisors and not staying in five-star hotels during foreign trips, in a desperate government attempt to lift the country out of its economic crisis.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the decisions agreed upon at a cabinet meeting, which approved measures to cut official expenditure after detailed discussions.
Although the austerity measures announced by Shehbaz impressed the cabinet, government officials and officials, the Pakistani PM only requested the army to cut the budget. Shahbaz’s appeal to the army raises the question whether the Pakistani government has any authority over the Pakistani army?
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told reporters during a press conference on Wednesday, “As far as the army is concerned, we have also contacted them and got a positive response from them.”
The fact that the Pakistani prime minister appealed to the military reiterates the military’s influence over the country’s decision-making bodies. The removal of Imran Khan as PM last year suggests ways for the military to retain influence over the government.
The Pakistani prime minister further said that he had requested the judiciary to cut down on expenditure.
He said, “I can only request the judiciary, although the government has the power but still I can appeal to them.”
The premier announced a gross 15 percent reduction in the current spending of each federal government department and urged the provinces to follow suit and cut spending. He also banned the use of luxury cars by cabinet members and took various other measures to cut expenses.
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