The federal government is proposing a massive increase of over 114% in the development budget for the Ministry of Defence in the upcoming fiscal year 2025–26, according to official budget documents.
The allocation for the ministry is expected to rise from Rs 5.386 billion in the current year to Rs 11.554 billion — a move that signals a significant shift in national spending priorities toward defence and security.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior is also set to see an increase in its development budget, with a proposed allocation of Rs 10.91 billion, up from Rs 9.78 billion.
However, this defense-centric approach comes at the cost of several key civilian sectors, which face substantial budget cuts.
The Ministry of Climate Change’s development budget is proposed to be halved, dropping from Rs 5.26 billion to Rs 2.784 billion.
The Ministry of Information Technology is also facing a sharp reduction, with its allocation falling from Rs 23.93 billion to Rs 13.53 billion.
Similarly, the health and education sectors are on the chopping block — the health ministry’s budget is set to drop from Rs 24.75 billion to Rs 15.34 billion, while education is being reduced from Rs 20.75 billion to Rs 19.68 billion.
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) is proposed to receive Rs 45 billion, down significantly from Rs 61 billion.
The development budget for Pakistan Railways is also being slashed from Rs 35 billion to Rs 24.51 billion, and the Ministry of Science and Technology may see a reduction from Rs 6.65 billion to Rs 4.79 billion.
The Water Resources Ministry is set to receive Rs 140 billion in development funds, a drop from the current Rs 170 billion allocation.
Even the Ministry of Defence Production is not spared in terms of cuts, with its development budget proposed to decrease from Rs 2.72 billion to Rs 1.79 billion.
