Empty Pockets, Grand Displays: Pakistan’s Naval Exercise Highlights Its Misplaced Priorities – OpEd
By Ruchi Singh
Pakistan’s AMAN-25 naval exercise, scheduled to take place from February 7 to 11 in Karachi, is poised to be the largest of its kind since its inception in 2007.
With over 50 nations expected to participate, the event will feature military drills alongside the debut of the AMAN Dialogue, a forum for discussing maritime security and the blue economy. These initiatives aim to portray Pakistan as a regional leader in the Indian Ocean. However, beneath this display of military might lies a nation grappling with unprecedented economic turmoil.
A Nation on the Brink
Pakistan’s economic indicators tell a grim tale. Inflation soared to 38% in 2024, GDP growth has stagnated at a meagre 2.4%, and over a third of the population now lives below the poverty line. Public services are severely underfunded, with healthcare receiving just 1.3% of GDP and education a mere 2%. These figures contrast sharply with a defence budget that consumes nearly 20% of federal spending.
The disconnect between Pakistan’s military ambitions and its domestic struggles is glaring. Millions face skyrocketing food and fuel prices, yet the government continues prioritising high-profile military expenditures. Public frustration is mounting, with citizens increasingly questioning the allocation of national resources.
The Grip of the Milbus Empire
Central to Pakistan’s economic woes is the entrenched influence of the military. Over decades, the armed forces have built an economic juggernaut, commonly referred to as “milbus” (military business). Institutions like the Fauji Foundation and the Army Welfare Trust control vast swathes of the economy, including real estate, agriculture, and banking, all under the guise of welfare.
This parallel economy operates with minimal oversight, enriching the military elite while ordinary Pakistanis bear the brunt of economic hardship. By some estimates, the military controls 12% of Pakistan’s land, including prime urban real estate reserved for senior officers. Meanwhile, impoverished regions like Balochistan, despite contributing significantly to the country’s natural resources, face a poverty rate exceeding 70%.
AMAN-25: Maritime Leadership or Grandstanding?
The AMAN series has long been a cornerstone of Pakistan’s maritime diplomacy, aiming to foster regional cooperation and address maritime security challenges. The addition of the AMAN Dialogue this year highlights an ambition to expand its influence beyond naval drills to thought leadership.
However, the exercise also highlights Pakistan’s reliance on external actors, particularly China. The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLA Navy) has participated in every iteration of AMAN and is expected to play a prominent role in AMAN-25. This partnership reflects broader Sino-Pak collaboration, including bilateral exercises like Sea Guardian and joint infrastructure projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
While these activities bolster Pakistan’s military capabilities, they emphasise its growing dependence on Beijing. Gwadar Port’s development, a CPEC centrepiece, exemplifies this dynamic, benefiting Chinese stakeholders more than local communities.
Regional Implications
China’s increasing presence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) through partnerships like AMAN has raised alarm bells in New Delhi. Beijing’s “string of pearls” strategy—establishing strategic footholds in ports like Gwadar, Djibouti, and Colombo—aims to encircle India and challenge its maritime dominance.
India, in response, has accelerated its naval modernisation, inducting nuclear submarines and advanced frigates while deepening alliances through initiatives like the Quad and bilateral exercises such as Malabar. These efforts reflect a strategic calculus to counterbalance the growing Sino-Pak partnership and maintain its role as a net security provider in the IOR.
Optics Over Substance
Despite its diplomatic ambitions, AMAN-25 serves more as a symbolic gesture than a reflection of genuine maritime strength. Pakistan’s inability to sustain a robust naval program without external support underlines the limitations of its defence-centric strategy. Admiral Dinesh Tripathi of the Indian Navy succinctly captured this paradox: “Good luck to them. They have chosen weapons over people’s welfare.”
This sentiment resonates domestically, where public criticism
of military spending is growing. Social media platforms amplify these frustrations, with many pointing out the stark contrast between the privileges of the military elite and the struggles of ordinary citizens.
A Path to Stability
Pakistan’s long-term stability hinges on systemic reform. The military’s economic dominance must be curtailed through taxation of its enterprises and redistribution of resources to underfunded sectors like healthcare and education. Strengthening democratic institutions and ensuring civilian oversight of the military are equally critical.
However, such reforms face significant resistance. The entrenched power of the military elite and its control over key state functions create formidable barriers to change. Without addressing these systemic issues, Pakistan risks further erosion of public trust and deeper economic instability.
AMAN-25 may succeed in projecting Pakistan as a regional maritime player, but it cannot obscure the realities of a nation in crisis. The exercise highlights the stark divergence between military ambition and domestic need, a pattern that has become increasingly unsustainable.
For Pakistan to navigate its way out of chaos, it must reconcile its defence priorities with the welfare of its citizens. Until then, its grand displays on the international stage will remain hollow, reflecting misplaced priorities rather than genuine strength.
A good analytical piece.
Would anyone in the Pakistani establishment care to listen?
Propaganda at best. This kind of anti-Pakistan pieces are nothing but comical but people sitting across the border have no clue of the true ground reality, which is only known when you are part of the establishment or the political elite, as the west calls it deep state. India needs to get over its fanaticism and propaganda against Pakistan if it truly wants a shift towards progressive policies. India has its own deep issues that it needs to fix like: fascist RSS take over, caste system, people waiting for the next opportunity to run away from India, social, political , and economic divides that are so sharp that it has been eating India out like a bad bacteria that destroys the body.