Verifying records: Data unavailable for 3.5m arms licences in K-P
Sources say compiling the record could take up to one year.
PESHAWAR:
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government, in an attempt to curb militancy in the war-struck province, decided to enrol arms licences that were issued in the province earlier.
The data of approximately 3.5 million Non-Prohibited Bore (NPB) arms licences issued was unavailable, The Express Tribune learnt.
Sources from the Home and Tribal Affairs Department revealed that around 3.5million NPB licences were issued in the province and so far, records of only 18,000 licences were computerised.
Talking to The Express Tribune, sources said that the nearly 3.5 million licences issued by the government were original but the newly formed home department was unable to record all of them and that it could take up to one year to verify each of them.
Sources also revealed that data of the licences issued by the government since partition were unavailable, but according to a survey, 30 to 35 people carried licences of prohibited bores, whereas the count of NBP arms was beyond the government’s access.
According to an earlier report published by The Express Tribune, the Home and Tribal Affairs Department issued around 210 arms manufacturing licences during the past one year, in addition to the existing 45 and raised the number of arms manufacturing factories from 45 to over 250.
The over 250 arms manufacturing factories generate around Rs100 million revenue, which is expected to reach Rs150 million this year, sources said. They revealed that the federal government issues 6,000 arms licences annually, of which K-P’s share is 1,500.
“Yes there is a proper law but it is not followed. It is the district government’s responsibility to issue licences and put everything on record,” sources said, adding that every member of the National Assembly was issued four licences; former chief secretaries were issued two and retired army officers were also issued licences.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 2nd, 2012.
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government, in an attempt to curb militancy in the war-struck province, decided to enrol arms licences that were issued in the province earlier.
The data of approximately 3.5 million Non-Prohibited Bore (NPB) arms licences issued was unavailable, The Express Tribune learnt.
Sources from the Home and Tribal Affairs Department revealed that around 3.5million NPB licences were issued in the province and so far, records of only 18,000 licences were computerised.
Talking to The Express Tribune, sources said that the nearly 3.5 million licences issued by the government were original but the newly formed home department was unable to record all of them and that it could take up to one year to verify each of them.
Sources also revealed that data of the licences issued by the government since partition were unavailable, but according to a survey, 30 to 35 people carried licences of prohibited bores, whereas the count of NBP arms was beyond the government’s access.
According to an earlier report published by The Express Tribune, the Home and Tribal Affairs Department issued around 210 arms manufacturing licences during the past one year, in addition to the existing 45 and raised the number of arms manufacturing factories from 45 to over 250.
The over 250 arms manufacturing factories generate around Rs100 million revenue, which is expected to reach Rs150 million this year, sources said. They revealed that the federal government issues 6,000 arms licences annually, of which K-P’s share is 1,500.
“Yes there is a proper law but it is not followed. It is the district government’s responsibility to issue licences and put everything on record,” sources said, adding that every member of the National Assembly was issued four licences; former chief secretaries were issued two and retired army officers were also issued licences.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 2nd, 2012.