How to deweaponise Pakistan

Letter January 24, 2011
I believe that people must have right to bear arms within reason in order to be able to protect themselves.

KARACHI: This is with reference to your report of January 22 titled “Law and order: The future of MQM’s deweaponisation bill”.

I believe that people in Pakistan must have a right to bear arms within reason in order to be able to protect themselves. Restrictions and obstacles in obtaining necessary permits will only affect ordinary people who need that protection, rather than the thugs that are responsible for the misuse of weapons.

Most criminals are connected to somebody powerful. Also, it is the guards of the politicians and the feudal class who have sophisticated weapons. Legislation is not going to take these weapons away — the only measure that will do that is if a door-to-door operation is conducted, and that too by the military.

K Yusuf

Published in The Express Tribune, January 24th, 2011.