ISLAMABAD: Pakistan was among the biggest importers of major arms in Asia and Oceania regions from 2016-2020 while globally it ranked 10th, accounting for 2.7 per cent of major arms imports, a report published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said on Monday.
During the period, China remained Pakistan’s main supplier for military technology, accounting for 74 per cent of the imports, followed by Russia and Italy with 6.6 per cent and 5.9 per cent, respectively.
In what appears to be the first development of its kind, Pakistan, compared to the previous period, saw a 23 per cent decrease in arms imports.
In comparison, India remained dependent on technology from Russia, France and Israel. Russia accounted for 49 per cent of its arms needs and was followed by France and Israel who contributed 18 per cent and 13 per cent, respectively.
New Delhi also witnessed a 33 per cent decrease in its total imports from 2016-2020 against the first five years of the decade.
“For many states in Asia and Oceania, a growing perception of China as a threat is the main driver for arms imports,” Siemon Wezeman, a senior researcher at SIPRI, said.
The United States, France and Germany — three of the world’s biggest exporters — increased deliveries, but falls in exports from Russian and China offset the rise, SIPRI said.
It was the first time since 2001-2005 that the volume of deliveries of major arms between countries — an indicator of demand — did not increase from the previous five-year period, it added.
While the pandemic has shut down economies across the world and pushed many countries into deep recessions, SIPRI said it was too early to tell whether the slowdown in arms deliveries was likely to continue.
“The economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic could see some countries reassessing their arms imports in the coming years,” Pieter Wezeman, a senior researcher with the SIPRI Arms and Military Expenditure Programme, said in a statement.
“However, at the same time, even at the height of the pandemic in 2020, several countries signed large contracts for major arms.”
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), for example, recently signed an agreement with the United States to purchase 50 F-35 jets and up to 18 armed drones as part of a $23 billion package.
