Annual arms licence renewal in the offing

LAHORE:

The home department has proposed annual renewal of weapon licences through amendments made in the Punjab Arms Rules 2023.

Previously, the renewal was required every five years. According to sources, the rules have been approved by the caretaker cabinet but are yet to be notified.

Each licence holder will have to pay a processing fee of Rs2,000 to the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) every year in addition to the Punjab government’s annual renewal fee of then same amount.

The Punjab Home Department has issued 150,000 arms licenses, of which 110,000 have been revalidated. Under the old rules, NADRA used to charge Rs1,650 for license renewal for five years, which amounted to Rs330 per annum.

The legal weapon owners in the province will now face an additional annual financial burden of Rs2.4 billion.

The department has also abolished an exemption given to citizens over 60 years of age to renew their arms licences for 10 years.

According to sources, the additional chief secretary for home had called for revision of the increase in fees and some other clauses of the policy, but they have been retained. The applicants had to visit the home department, local police station, DC and NADRA office for renewing the licences, while the new rules are based on an online system.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 15^th, 2023.