New Delhi reports that Pakistan announced sweeping austerity measures on 2026-27 amid a deepening economic crisis, while simultaneously directing its intelligence network to boost money collection for militant groups. The cuts affect government officials, limiting fuel consumption, foreign travel and banning the purchase of new official vehicles; ordinary citizens have also been urged to adopt strict savings.
At the same time, terror outfits rebuilding after India's Operation Sindoor – a military response to the Pahalgam strike – are being told to raise funds urgently. The operation, which aimed to avenge the terror attack, reportedly cost the ISI and its proxies millions of dollars.
According to an Intelligence Bureau source, the ISI is ordering all financing channels – front organisations, classified state allocations, criminal enterprises and even a share of defence spending – to increase contributions for groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba. Defence outlays have risen after Operation Sindoor, and underground financing drawn from the defence budget now aids the militants.
State‑backed indirect channels raised $125 million in 2025; officials say the figure has been lifted to $150 million for the current year. Drug cartels and related criminal networks, which previously supplied $70 million, have been instructed to boost their contribution to at least $100 million. Religious charities, traditionally a $200 million source, are also under pressure to collect more.
Authorities warn that these financing drives will be closely monitored because they directly affect India, especially the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan's defence allocation grew from 16 per cent to 18 per cent, with the 2026-27 budget standing at 1.01 trillion PKR (approximately $10.8 billion). A substantial portion of this sum is believed to be diverted to support proxy terror activities.
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📰 Source: Mangalorean News