ISLAMABAD: Sources within Interior Ministry have denied cancellation or suspension of licenses of prohibited bore arms.
Calling the notification over arms licenses circulating on the social media fake sources said that the license of prohibited bore arms are neither being cancelled nor suspended. However, separate policies are being made for allowed and restricted arms, the sources added.
The final approval of the arms license policy would be given by the prime minister after its approval by the federal cabinet, the sources said.
It may be mentioned here that the last date for getting the restricted bore arms licenses computerized is December 30, 2017.
It may be mentioned here that after completing the verification of 137,000 arms licenses in February 2016 the Interior Ministry had declared 8,400 of them fake. The Ministry had directed registering cases of the holders of bogus arms licenses. It had also cancelled 170,000 arms licenses for failure to get registered with NADRA during the prescribed time.
On October 31, 2017 Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had directed the Interior Ministry to work out a comprehensive policy on issuance of arms licenses so as to make the process more convenient and applicant friendly. The prime minister had also issued the direction during a briefing on automatic arms licenses held under his chairmanship in Islamabad the same day. He had directed the Ministry of Interior to bring the issue of regulation of arms licenses for the automatic weapons before the next meeting of the Federal Cabinet and had also directed that the arms licenses should be linked with CNIC database of NADRA.
Secretary Interior briefed the Prime Minister about the overall situation regarding the number of arms licenses issued by the federal as well as the provincial governments.
The meeting was informed that 19,143 prohibited bore arms licenses were issued during the period 2010-2012. He said during the interim period of 2013, a total of 25,789 licenses were issued for the prohibited bore weapons.
The meeting was also informed that a deadline of 30th December this year has been set for re-validation of all licenses after which all non-computerized licenses issued by the Interior Ministry are liable to be cancelled. INP
