A violence-promoting SRO

The government’s SRO(1)/2018, a notification issued on the eve of December 16, a day when over 140 schoolchildren were brutally gunned down by militants using prohibited-bore weapons, is not just most unfortunate and insensitive but also reflects the ruling elite’s penchant for guns, violence and militancy. The new SRO removes the ban on issuance of prohibited-bore gun licences and also enables our militant class to own unlimited number of weapons of mass destruction.

What made the government issue such a self-destructive proclamation? Was it an act of political appeasement and bribe or simply an instrument of surrender to the militant, rich, powerful and violent elite of Pakistan? After all it is only the members of parliament, lawless feudal landlords and the hardcore criminals such as Malik Ishaq Jhangvi who are the typical recipients of such prohibited-bore gun licences. The latest notification is feared to usher in a new era of armed goons, violence, militancy, lawlessness and tribal culture in Pakistan.

The key commonality between the APS tragedy and the daily cases of other violent instances making headlines in our media is the prevalence of some 20 million legal and illegal weapons in the hands of militants, mafias and private individuals in Pakistan. It is a well-documented fact that gun violence is directly proportional to the prevalence of guns in any country. The US is a prime example of this sickness. On the other hand, sensible countries such as Australia, Japan and the UK, through deweaponisation schemes, have almost completely eliminated gun violence in their societies.

It is ironic that weapons have become a symbol of power, status and wealth for the pampered elite of Pakistan. Only between 2008 and 2013, the federal government issued 69,473 licences for prohibited-bore weapons on the recommendation of parliamentarians. This was confirmed by a written statement presented by the interior minister in the National Assembly on February 28, 2013. The Supreme Court of Pakistan in its suo-motu case 16 of the year 2011 had stated that, “Karachi is full of arms and ammunition of prohibited and non-prohibited bores including licensed and illicit. Therefore, Karachi has to be cleansed from all kinds of weapons by adhering to the laws available on the subject, and if need be, by promulgating new legislation.” Sadly this judgment never saw the light of the day.

When a state begins to abandon its responsibility to protect its citizens, it is replaced by thousands of private guards, criminal gangs and gun-toting goons. This has become true for Pakistan where hundreds of rural and urban private militias and armies maintained by its militant elite operate with complete impunity, in gross violation of Article 256 of the Constitution.

It is time the federal and provincial governments fulfilled their constitutional duty to protect the lives of all citizens and honour the Supreme Court’s deweaponisation judgment of suo-motu case 16 of 2011. It is time the government declared that all categories of weapons must lie only in the domain of the state and that no citizen regardless of his/her status be allowed to possess, carry or display any weapon — licensed or otherwise.

It would be prudent for the government to withdraw its violence promoting SRO (1) / 2018, put an end to issuance of all gun licences and to declare the existing weapon licences (largely issued on the basis of favour, status, influence or bribe), null and void.

It is time the government executed a nationwide scheme for surrender of unlicensed weapons and bought back the licensed weapons, on the same model as the one successfully implemented by Australia and the UK.

Finally, it is also time Pakistan understood that its 25 million out-of-school children and the easy access to 20 million guns were a perfect recipe for a disaster whose script is being fuelled by weapon-promoting notifications such as the SRO (1) / 2018.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 30^th, 2018.

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