One can only hope that the arms licences granted for self-defence will not be used as a means to generate revenue
RAWALPINDI: According to a recent press report, the federal arms licences’ records of the years prior to 2002 were destroyed in a fire and the concerned licence holders were asked to approach Nadra for verification and revalidation of licences over the next 18 months. The ongoing computerisation of arms licences since 2013 is a real hassle for senior citizens who are promised special comfort privileges by the worthy government. It is not affecting professional criminals and terrorists because they do not use licensed arms and countless superior arms of military grade are available to them.
I was granted a non-automatic rifle licence in 1976 and a gratis licence in 1991 for a military award. These licences and arms were verified and registered by the Rawalpindi administration in 1998 under a government order, after I obtained a good character certificate from the local police station.
Now, my licences need reverification and revalidation at an additional cost. This is all because I am a law-abiding citizen. I humbly appeal to the worthy minister of interior to be gracious enough to accept the concerned senior citizens, pensioners, civil and military awardees as law-abiding citizens, and authorise the return of their original arms licences, marked valid for life, subject to relevant laws. I hope the arms licences granted for self-defence will not be used as a means to generate revenue.
M Akram Niazi
Published in The Express Tribune, November 1st, 2015.
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authorise the return of their original arms licences, marked valid for life, subject to relevant laws.
