Staff Reporter
Karachi
Pakistan was on Monday ranked the eleventh largest arms importer in the world, according to a report published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Arch-rival India was second on the list, the Swedish firm claimed.
Figures released by SIPRI alongside the report showed that China, Russia and Italy were the main supplier of arms to the country. Import numbers from SIPRI further highlighted that the actual share of Pakistani imports in the total global weapons imports had decreased
According to the Stockholm-based institute, China accounted for 73% of the total arms imports of Pakistan over 2015-2019, with Russia (6.6%) and Italy (6.1%) second and third on the list. The report further revealed that the Pakistani share in global arms imports decreased 39% in the period.
The peace research institute said that Pakistan was among the top three buyers of arms from top weapons exporters like Italy and Turkey. Pakistan had a 7.5% share in arms imports from Italy between 2015-2019, and 12% share in Turkish arms over the same period. SIPRI also identified the significant drop in arms sales to South Asia by the United States, which was listed as the largest arms exporter in the world between 2015-2019. The institute noted that US arms imports to Pakistan declined by 92%, and to India by 51%, over this period.
Islamabad was also identified as the largest buyer of Chinese arms in the report between 2015-2019, accounting for 35% of the arms exports from Beijing. China was listed the fifth largest exporter of weapons in the world in the five year period as it expands influence around the world.
According to SIPRI, China accounted for 51 per cent of Pakistan’s arm imports in 2010–14 and for 73 per cent in 2015–19. The overall decrease in Pakistan’s arms imports over the latest five year period was linked to the US decision to stop military aid to Pakistan.
The institute revealed that the US accounted for 30 per cent of Pakistan’s arms imports in 2010–14 but 4.1 per cent in 2015–19. SIPRI noted that Pakistan continued to import arms from Europe, strengthening relations with Turkey with orders for 30 combat helicopters and 4 frigates in 2018.
The peace research firm also published a short analysis on the February 2019 military confrontation between Islamabad and New Delhi. According to SIPRI, Pakistan reportedly used combat aircraft imported from China, equipped with Russian engines in the fight.
These aircraft were supported by aircraft from the US, and airborne early warning and control aircraft from Sweden. India reportedly used combat aircraft imported from France and Russia, guided bombs from Israel, and artillery from Sweden with Russian engines in the fight.
“Between 2010–14 and 2015–19, arms imports by India and Pakistan decreased by 32 and 39 per cent, respectively. While both countries have long-standing aims to produce their own major arms, they remain largely dependent on imports,” the institute highlighted. “As in previous years, in 2019 India and Pakistan—which are nuclear-armed states—attacked each other using an array of imported major arms,” Siemon Wezeman, Senior Researcher at SIPRI, said. “Many of the world’s largest arms exporters have supplied these two states for decades, often exporting arms to both sides,” he added.
