If you had only four weapons in the past, you can now own 400 or 4,000 or more
KARACHI: Critics may have a long list of grievances attributed to the Sindh government. They have a broken down school system, health system, vehicle management system, land management system, water system, sanitation system, the list is endless. But none can falter the Sindh government for its unbound generosity and its desire to make every citizen a fully-fledged fighting force.
The Sindh government this week, just nine days before it was to end its tenure, decided to amend its Arms Acts. The existing Arms Act rather miserly restricted the number of weapons a citizen could own to four. As an act of misplaced magnanimity this restriction was withdrawn and now a citizen can hold an unlimited number of weapons. So if you had only four weapons in the past, you can now own 400 or 4,000 or more.
Besides destroying the crime and militancy climate in the province, this decision is a blatant violation of Article 256 of the Constitution, which forbids formation of private armies and militias. Could one consider this as the final statement of the Sindh government that protection of life and property is no longer the domain of the state and each citizen must organise unlimited weapon-bearing goons to defend oneself or attack other citizens, as deemed appropriate?
Naeem Sadiq
Published in The Express Tribune, May 25th, 2018.
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