Arms permit digitisation halted

De-weaponisation drive to replace amnesty in Punjab

LAHORE:

The Punjab Home Department has suspended the revalidation and computerisation of manual arms licences across the province with immediate effect.

According to a notification, a directive dated February 25 this year to grant citizens and institutions a final opportunity to digitise their old arms licences has been withdrawn.

The decision aims to pave the way for a provincewide campaign for de-weaponisation and surrendering illicit arms

The fresh circular addressed to all divisional commissioners and the home department additional secretary (judicial) instructed them to halt the receipt of new applications and cancel all previous instructions related to the computerisation process.

It also ordered the preparation of consolidated reports detailing all arms licence related activities carried out since February 25

The reports must include information on the number of applications received, manual booklets sent for verification, and cases where licences were declared genuine or fake after scrutiny by the deputy commissioners.

The home department emphasised that the move is a preparatory step before the commencement of a provincewide campaign.to seize illicit weapons and ammunition.

The government's arms licence computerisation project originally began in 2016 with the objective of replacing outdated manual licences with computerised record issued through the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).

The reform sought to prevent forgery, ensure accountability, and streamline the verification process.

The initial deadline for the computerisation was December 31, 2020, after which all unverified manual licences were cancelled.

However, in February this year, the provincial government reopened the process for a limited period, giving citizens, institutions, and private security firms a last chance to verify and digitise their licences. That opportunity has now been revoked.

The provincial administration had introduced new legislation in late October under the Punjab Surrender of Illegal Arms Act 2025, offering a 15-day amnesty for the voluntary surrender of unlicensed weapons.

Under the new legal framework, offenders found possessing illegal arms after the amnesty period face imprisonment for up to 14 years and fines ranging from Rs1 million to Rs3 million.

The department stated that the measures were designed to "eradicate the circulation of illegal weapons and ensure lasting peace and public safety" across the province.

Provincial Information Minister Azma Bukhari had said earlier that the government, in collaboration with NADRA, had digitised processes related to the issuance, renewal, and verification of weapon licences.

The home department has also directed all district administrations to provide detailed data on seized illegal arms to help finalise the operational phase of the de-weaponisation campaign.

The new policy is expected to impact citizens who were still in the process of computerising their old licences. The government has yet to clarify whether pending applicants will be given another opportunity or if their manual licences will be deemed invalid.