Deweaponisation: Routine violations disrupted disarmament drive, documents show

Despite a bar on issuance of arms licences, former premiers Gilani, Ashraf approved 187,189 permits.

ISLAMABAD: Despite a freeze on fresh weapons licences, the previous government flouted its own directives by issuing as many as 187,189 permits for prohibited and non-prohibited bore weapons during its five years in power, according to official documents obtained by The Express Tribune.

Former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani imposed the ban as part of the measures taken to improve the overall law and order situation in the country. Yet he ignored his own directions and his successor Raja Pervaiz Ashraf too, continued to approve new licences, all of which have somehow allegedly contributed to the escalating violence in the country.

Rehman Malik, who served as interior minister in the previous regime, and interior secretaries also issued thousands of new licences, documents further revealed. These documents were submitted to the National Assembly (NA) by the interior ministry in response to a question by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) NA member Chaudhry Hamid Hameed.

The documents also revealed massive irregularities in the process of issuance of arms licences.

“Yes, in the year 2008-09, some malpractices were reported in the process of issuance of arms licences,” stated a 14-page report in response to the query.

Some 67,522 prohibited licences were issued on the directives of then premier Yousaf Raza Gilani, while 119,667 licences for non-prohibited weapons were issued with the approval of the then interior minister Rehman Malik, and interior secretaries, stated the document.

As many as 13,651 licences were issued in Balochistan. Karachi remained top of the list, with 20,380 licences followed by Lahore and then Quetta, which were issued 16,483 and 13,438 licences respectively.

Some 9,709 licences were issued in Peshawar, while Rawalpindi received 8,387 licences, and Gujranwala 6,025 from 2008 to 2013, according the documents.

Residents of Gujrat were issued 2,900 licences of prohibited and non-prohibited bores while 3,125 licences were issued to residents in Nawabshah. As many as 1,586 licences were approved in Dadu district while Naseerabad was issued 1,536 licences in the last five years, the documents stated.

Moreover, 2,500 licences were issued in Sibi district, while Multan, Gilani’s hometown received a share of 2,650 licences for prohibited and non-prohibited weapons.

Interior ministry spokesperson Omar Hameed Khan told The Express Tribune that the government was reviewing the authenticity of around 130,000 weapons licences.

When asked if Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif or Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had ordered to probe the matter, the spokesperson said, “No inquiry – they are being reviewed to check all [licences issued in the last five years].”

20,380

Karachi remained top of the list when previous government issued 20,380 prohibited and non-prohibited bore licenses for weapons in the port city.

119,667

119,667 licences for non-prohibited weapons were issued with the approval of the then Interior Minister Rehman Malik and Interior Secretaries, added the document

13,438

Quetta secured third position with 13,438 new arms licences for both prohibited and non-prohibited in last five years.

67,522

Some 67,522 licences of prohibited bore were issued on directions of the then Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, who himself imposed ban on issuance of arms licenses in 2009, in 5 years.

187,189

The previous government issued 187, 189 licences for prohibited and non-prohibited bore weapons in 5 years

13,651

As many as 13,651 prohibited and non-prohibited licences were issued in Balochistan

9,709

Some 9,709 licences were issued to residents of Peshawar in last five years.

16,483

Lahore followed Karachi when 16,483 Lahoris succeeded to receive licences for weapons in previous Pakistan Peoples Party’s regime.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 26^th, 2013.