A country’s defense budget is a critical and fundamental component of its security calculus. As Pakistan continues to battle internal and external security threats, this cal­culus is not merely about an increase in numbers but also encapsulates the strategic resolve to maintain and enhance the country’s national se­curity posture in an increas­ingly charged and volatile environ­ment. With an increased allocation of 17.6 % of the country’s latest defense budget, it is imperative to contextualize this allocation with­in the spectrum of both the exist­ing and emerging traditional and non-traditional security threats.

Over the years, Pakistan’s threat spectrum has been composed of internal and external challeng­es, oscillating between high and low-intensity periods. The coun­try has navigated waves of instabil­ity, ranging from internal political unrest and insurgencies to exter­nal military threats from neighbor­ing countries like India. Through­out these fluctuations, Pakistan’s strategic reliance on its nuclear de­terrent historically has remained a cornerstone of its national secu­rity policy. This nuclear capability has served as a critical deterrent to maintain a strategic balance and prevent escalation in a region char­acterized by enduring rivalries and geopolitical tensions. However, the evolution in conflict dynamics and the new arms race in the region necessitate a substantial defense budget for a country like Pakistan that still battles fractions of terror­ist groups and external powers that exploit and threaten its stability.

Several factors can be attribut­ed to the recent augmentation in the defense........

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