Number of illegal and unlicensed prohibited bore weapons in Pakistan far exceeds those that are supposedly ‘licensed’
KARACHI: While welcoming Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s excellent decision to suspend all automatic bore gun licences, we, members of Citizens Against Weapons, would like to identify a number of potential constraints in the new policy. These are (a) Almost all existing gun licences are fake and issued without the mandatory training, tests, medical or background checks. The only criteria for these licences have been power, influence, status or bribe. Thus, the new scheme will be condoning licences that are incorrect and illegal to begin with.
(b) The number of illegal and unlicensed prohibited bore weapons in Pakistan far exceeds those that are supposedly ‘licensed’. By remaining silent on such illegal weapons, the new policy appears to protect and keep them outside the ambit of the law. (c) The suggestion to have automatic weapons descaled to semi-automatic category creates new opportunities for fraud. This action is easily reversible and makes it impossible for the government to track or verify. It is also vulnerable to the use of add-on gadgets like ‘bump-stocks’ that convert semi-automatic weapons into even deadlier killing machines. (d) The new scheme does not specify any penalties for non-compliance by the cut-off date making it sound like a voluntary venture.
In view of these constraints, we strongly recommend that (a) all prohibited bore weapons be declared illegal and their licences suspended. (b) All prohibited bore weapons — licensed as well as unlicensed be surrendered by a cut-off date and heavy penalties specified for those who fail to comply. (c) A well thought-out plan be prepared and widely advertised on media that explains the complete weapon surrender process.
Naeem Sadiq
Published in The Express Tribune, November 16th, 2017.
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