Almost every one out of 58 arms licences – issued by the country’s top institution responsible for controlling proliferation of illegal weapons – has been found to be forged. A recent investigation done by an internal committee of the Ministry of Interior reveals that some 7, 212 licences, from among the 425, 261 arm licences issued to individuals from 1971 to 2012, were found forged. “A dangerous rise in proliferation of illegal arms was witnessed in last eight years. Federal government issued 0.2 million licences from 2005 to 2012,” said the official who attended an important meeting on arms licences, passports and Islamabad Safe City Project. It has been alleged that some top officials of the ministry were involved in issuing fake arms licenses. This hardly comes as a surprise, as the Rangers crackdown is revealing many cracks in the establishment that had previously gone unheeded. If the government is serious about the de-weapoinsation of the country it must start by eliminating all illegal weapons. A buy-back approach must be introduced to compensate those who surrender their weapons voluntarily. Taking away peoples ‘right to security’ away is only possible when the people feel safe in their homes. They cannot with the how many arms are available in black and how easy it is becoming to find oneself at the end of a barrel at street intersections. From criminals steals cell phones to planting bombs, the gun is the common factor. In a society which cant even protect free speech, right to life, and right to religion, there is no basis to offer people the right to hold arms. In the meanwhile, those who can re-validate their license should do so immediately, and those who do not, should be investigated. Anyone in possession of an unlicensed gun should have to bear the full force of the law.
pk.shafaqna.com
