SC to examine issuance of prohibited-bore licences

Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa on Friday decided to take suo motu notice of the issuance of licences for prohibited-bore weapons to a few people, and sought replies from the interior secretary as well as the provincial home secretaries and the police chiefs.

While giving his ruling on a bail application, the chief justice remarked that the matter was related to the fundamental rights under articles nine and 25 of the Constitution.

However, he added that it would be reviewed by a three-judge committee formed under the Practice and Procedure Act. The issue emerged during a bail case in which the investigation officer concerned had brought the licence of a submachine gun (SMG) of the Mardan deputy inspector general (DIG) of police on the court record.

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The court asked how could the DIG issue a licence for a prohibited-bore SMG. The court asked whether prohibited-bore arms licences could be issued; who was exempted from possessing them; how many prohibited-bore arms licences had been issued across the country, so far; and how many private individuals were using SMGs and other prohibited-bore weapons.

The judgment, authored by the chief justice, noted that whether allowing a few people in the country to have prohibited-bore weapons was against the constitutional provisions about equal treatment of the citizens or it was in violation of Article 9.

The court directed the Supreme Court office to make a separate note on these questions and register it as a constitutional petition under Article 184(3) that pertains to the suo motu notice. The court also issued notices to the attorney general for Pakistan and the provincial advocate generals on the matter.