PHOTO COURTESY THE FINANCIAL EXPRESS
According to documents submitted to the K-P Assembly, in response to a question raised by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker Sobia Shahid, the Home and Tribal Affairs Department does not issue individual licences.
Instead, the respective DCs issue permits for non-prohibited-bore weapons. However, the home department expressed its inability to produce the bio data of licence holders and said tabulation of the information will cost the department an estimated Rs40 million.
The district-wise breakdown of licences issued in the province states 5,584 licences were issued in Karak, 5,285 in Charsadda, 5,705 in Swabi, 5,380 in Lower Dir and 4,566 in Mansehra.
Meanwhile, Malakand received its share of 3,218 permits, 2,836 were issued in DI Khan, 1,541 in Battagram, 3,471 in Abbottabad, 2,429 in Nowshera, 1,103 in Kohistan, 4,221 in Haripur, 1,263 in Torghar, 3,679 in Lakki Marwat, 2,902 in Shangla, 2,485 in Tank, 1,763 in Hangu and 2,883 were doled out in Buner.
On the other hand, Chitral and Upper Dir stood at the bottom of the list with 213 and 970 arms licenses issued since 2013 respectively.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 19th, 2015.
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