Deweaponisation policy is excellent but not practicable. In the past, three Martial Laws in 1958, 1969, 1977 and an elected government in 1998 tried to deweaponise the country under dreadful laws but failed for the simple reason of compulsion of personal security against the unchecked criminals. Revalidation of arms licences was also carried out in 1998 without achieving positive result but the concerned government departments and law-abiding licence holders suffered. We have yet to reconcile to two ground realities. One, crime is committed by a criminal using any type of weapon (even a dagger or an axe) and not by the weapon. Two, law-abiding citizens need weapons for self-defence particularly when even the law enforcement agencies are not safe. We should seriously consider the wisdom of the US National Rifle Associations slogan: If guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns We should also consider success of those well armed and well organized communities in Pakistan and elsewhere where criminals dare not enter. I humbly appeal to the Federal Government to kindly concentrate on combating the criminals with the cooperation of law-abiding armed citizens, avoid disarming the law-abiding citizens, and consider deweaponisation when the security situation permits. ENGR. M. AKRAM NIAZI, Rawalpindi, August 20.