*LAHORE: *A report released by Stockholm International Research PeaceResearch Institute (SIPRI) has revealed Pakistani arms imports dropped 36percent between 2008-2012 and 2013-17.
According to SIPRI’s press release on its website, Pakistan accounted for2.7 percent of global arms imports during 2013-17. Arm imports from USAduring the above-mentioned period slumped by 76 percent compared to2008-2013.
Pakistan remained the largest recipient of Chinese arms imports during2013-17, SIPRI revealed.
Siemon Wezeman, Senior Researcher with the SIPRI Arms and MilitaryExpenditure Programme said “The tensions between India, on the one side,and Pakistan and China, on the other, are fuelling India’s growing demandfor major weapons, which it remains unable to produce itself,’ said.‘China, by contrast, is becoming increasingly capable of producing its ownweapons and continues to strengthen its relations with Pakistan, Bangladeshand Myanmar through arms supplies.”
And Pakistan’s arch nemesis India was the largest importer of arms during2013-17, accounting for 12 percent of global arm imports. Russian armimports to India rose by 62 percent during 2013-17 but US arm importssurged 557 percent from 2008-2012 and 2013-2017.
Indian arm imports clocked a 24 percent rise between 2008-2012 and2013-2017, reported SIPRI.
Global arm imports into the Middle East have doubled in the last decade,said SIPRI. Arm imports by nations in the Middle East surged 103 percentbetween 2008-12 and 2013-17, accounting for 32 percent of global armimports during 2013-17.
During 2013-17, Saudi Arabia remained the world’s second largest armsimporters, with imports surging 225 percent compared with 2008-12.
On the export front, US consolidated its lead by constituting for 34percent of total arm exports globally.