Security: No more arms licences in K-P until 2013 polls

The decision was taken at a meeting of the election commission.

PESHAWAR: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Home and Tribal Affairs department has banned the issuance of all kinds of fresh arms licences and permits in the province, following directions issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

The proposal was presented earlier last week by Chief Election Commissioner Justice (Retd) Fakhruddin G Ebrahim. The final decision was taken during a meeting of the commission, which was attended by the K-P chief secretary and home secretary, among others.

The election commissioner had conveyed verbal directions to the participants of the meeting not to issue fresh arms licences until the general elections are held.



Officials of the home and tribal affairs department told The Express Tribune that the officials concerned in the province had been directed verbally however the notification in this regard is expected to be issued today (Monday), by K-P Home and Tribal Affairs Secretary Muhammad Azam Khan.

They said that all licenses, who had applied earlier, have been dispatched their licenses, whereas, the officials concerned have been directed not to receive more applications.

When asked, officials said that issuing permits for prohibited arms was a subject of the federal interior ministry. However, issuing non-prohibited arms licenses falls under the province’s jurisdiction and thus has been banned.

Muhammad Azam Khan told The Express Tribune that a notification was ready, but they were waiting for a written statement from the election commission.

“Yes, the decision was taken during the meeting but that was verbal and it will be better that we receive a notification in writing,” Khan said, adding the notification was ready to be issued even if the department does not receive ECP’s written notification.

He also said that the chief election commissioner told all officials concerned that the ban should be imposed till the general polls are held.

A report published in April last year said that the data of approximately 3.5 million Non-Prohibited Bore arms licences issued was unavailable, while records of only 18,000 licences were computerised.

The federal government issues 6,000 arms licences annually, of which K-P’s share is 1,500.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 7^th, 2013.