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India plans to oppose the World Bank’s $20 billion funding to Pakistan, citing past misuse of international aid for military purposes instead of development.
India will oppose a proposed $20 billion World Bank funding package for Pakistan next month, as the country continues to expose Islamabad’s alarming track record of diverting global financial assistance towards weapons, not welfare. As per a PTI report, a senior Indian government source confirmed New Delhi’s position, stressing that Pakistan has long misused multilateral aid meant for economic upliftment to strengthen its military and abet terror activities.
"Multilateral agencies' funding to developing countries are meant for poverty alleviation and development goals, but Pakistan's track record has been to misuse them for military purposes," the source was quoted as saying, highlighting a grim pattern that India is determined to break.
Misplaced Priorities: Pakistan Seeks Billions for Development, Buys Arms Instead
The World Bank is scheduled to review the multi-billion dollar assistance under its Country Partnership Framework, signed in January, which is ostensibly meant to support clean energy and climate resilience projects in Pakistan from 2026 onwards. But India sees this as a deceptive smokescreen.
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"We will oppose the upcoming World Bank funding to Pakistan," the source asserted, exposing how such funds have been historically funneled into Pakistan’s defense establishment rather than into schools, hospitals, or infrastructure for its struggling population.
India Took Bold Stand at IMF – Forced Stricter Conditions on Pakistan
India’s decisive lobbying earlier this month against the IMF’s $2.3 billion bailout to Pakistan served as a wake-up call for global lenders. New Delhi did not mince words—it presented irrefutable evidence: from senior Pakistani generals attending the funerals of UN-designated terrorists to hard data showing how IMF funds in the past directly coincided with spikes in arms imports.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman led the charge, personally engaging IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva and key board members. Indian Embassy officials held direct talks with influential countries such as the United States, showcasing Pakistan’s decades-long betrayal of donor trust.
Though the funding ultimately went through, India’s forceful intervention led to the IMF slapping 11 new structural benchmarks on Pakistan, ranging from fiscal governance to energy and investment policy reforms.
"India is not averse to any country receiving money for development purposes. But the IMF funding was not the right thing to do at a time when there were border tensions between India and Pakistan and a situation of war. Also, Pakistan has a history of spending not for people, but for buying arms," the source stated, echoing the mood in New Delhi.
Exposed by Numbers: Pakistan’s Bloated Military Budget
According to publicly available data, Pakistan spends a staggering 18% of its general budget on "defense affairs and services"—far more than most conflict-ridden nations, which typically spend between 10-14%. Notably, Pakistan’s arms imports surged over 20% during years when it received IMF disbursements, revealing a chilling correlation between foreign aid and weapons buildup.
Tensions between the two nations have intensified since the horrific April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 innocent civilians. India has squarely blamed Pakistan for harbouring terror groups and allowing cross-border terrorism to flourish, even as it begs for international aid.
New Delhi maintains that Pakistan, instead of taking action against terror outfits operating freely on its soil, continues to divert aid money into buying guns, not building peace.
