ISLAMABAD - The National Database & Registration Authority (Nadra) Friday claimed to start revalidation process for arms licenses issued by the federal ministry of interior after a decision of the federal government that all arms licenses, which would not be revalidated till September 30 by the authority stand cancelled. The Nadra has state-of-the-art infrastructure of centres, comprised trained and qualified manpower with the capability and capacity to develop and manage Arms License Management System. The process will provide transparency and authenticity of arms licenses and proper data will be available with the Ministry of Interior, said Deputy Chairman Nadra, Tariq Malik in a statement issued for the media. He said Nadra would process arms licenses on behalf of ministry of interior (MoI); however the approval of each arms license application would be the sole discretion of the ministry and Nadra would only process those applications, which would have the approval of MoI. Each arm license-holder would bring with him an original national identity card, original arm license along with their photocopies and an application form duly filled in to get new arm license in the form of specially designed smart cards. The application form would be available at Nadra centres or can be downloaded from MOI website. The Nadra would verify the CNICs from its database to check the genuineness of an applicant while the applicants credentials would also be checked by different law enforcement agencies. The Nadra will charge card renewal fee of Rs 1,100 for PB (prohibited bore) license and Rs 600 for NPB (non-prohibited bore) license along with any payable in respect of government license renewal fee due. The original booklet will be retained by Nadra and later the authority would forward all original booklets to the ministry of interior for post-verification. The Nadra has designated 158 centres across the country where a separate counter in each designated centre has been established to receive the applications regarding the renewal of arms licenses. 13 NADRA Registration Centers (NRC) in Regional Head Quarter Multan, 30 NRCs in Provincial Headquarter9PHQ) Quetta, 14 NRCs in PHQ Lahore, 10 NRCs in Regional Head Quarter Sargodha, 32 NRCs in PHQ Peshawar, 24 NRC in Islamabad, 11 NRCs in Sindh Regional Head Quarter Hyderabad, 10 NRCs in Sindh Regional Head Quarter Sukkur, 13 NRCs in Sindh Regional Head Quarter Karachi and one Center at G-10 Islamabad for Arms License Project Site will facilitate the applicants for the arm licenses. Interior Minister Rehman Malik on August 10 had announced to extend deadline of revalidation of arms licenses from August 31, 2011 to September 30 and this deadline encompasses all Pakistan for renewal of Arms Licenses specifically issued by Ministry of Interior. Tariq Malik explained that however this project did not cater for computerization of manual arms licenses issued by provincial governments adding that the above arrangements would facilitate all the arms license holders. The government is making the whole exercise of revalidation and issuance of arms licenses in a bid to check illegal weapons in the country and to maintain a district-wise database of legal arms.