The armed forces have decided to cut down its daily expenses to help the government meet economic challenges, in addition to observing Friday as a “dry day” to save fuel, which is the highest product in the country’s import bill, Aaj News reported while citing sources.

Sources said that like the past two years, the armed forces have refused to make the demand for additional funds. The decision came as Finance Minister Miftah Ismail presented the annual budget in the National Assembly on Friday.

Major decisions

• Further limiting the expenses in utility bills
• No use of official transport except in emergency
• Scales down training drills and exercises to cantonments in small scale
• To employ remote working for conferences
• Use of local currency in purchase of military equipment
• Returns Rs6 billion, which was allocated for Covid, to government
• Returns Rs3.5 billion to national exchequer from its fund that was allocated last year
• Defence budget is 16% of annual budget
• Rs935 billion added to national kitty over the last five years in direct, indirect, and duties by army and defence bodies