Computerised arms licences to bring peace

Qaim Ali Shah claims govt knows who planned the suicide attack on the Rangers’ office.

KARACHI: The government is soon going to start issuing computerised arms licences and those weapons not registered with Nadra would be treated as cancelled and invalid, said Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah.

During the Sindh Assembly session on Thursday, Shah said that the police have identified the suspects involved in the suicide attack on the Rangers headquarters in North Nazimabad a few days ago through a DNA test.

“We also know how the suspects watched and monitored Rangers activity a few days before the blast,” he said, adding that they have captured their photos and have collected all details on the suspects.

Shah said that the government is trying to acquire a facility to avert mob blasts.

Appreciating the efforts of the police and Rangers, the chief minister was upset that the criminals receive bails within a few days. “We may amend the law and have requested the Sindh High Court chief justice to look into the matter and discourage granting bails to notorious criminals,” he said.

In the suo motu decision, the Supreme Court had directed the police and home department officials to send monthly briefs and the chief minister will share the minutes of the meeting with them.

The government is also trying to discourage the sale of mobile SIM cards at retail shops. “People will only get their SIMs at a postal address,” he said.

Shah also said that the situation in Karachi is not as bad as portrayed in the media. Ethnic and sectarian disputes and conflicts between land grabbers are contributing factors in the violence, he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 16^th, 2012.