SIALKOT
Despite the expiration of over two months from the lifting of ban on new arms licenses, the aspirants are not being dealt with for issuance of new licenses by the Nadra and the Sialkot administration, it is learnt.
Section Officer Dr Imtiaz Mohsin vide letter SO(Judl-1)1-1/2013(Rules/Policy) dated 27-10-14 had intimated the Punjab departments that the ban on manufacturing, sale and repairing of arms and issuance of new licenses has been lifted. The letter states that the Governor of the Punjab in exercise of the powers conferred under section 11 of the Pakistan Arms Ordinance, 1965 is pleased to make the rules. The rule 2 of the amendment denounces that it is at once promulgated throughout the province.
However, nothing has been done in district Sialkot in this regard. People have been regularly paying visits to the Church Road Nadra office but they are continuously been told that “we have not been provided with the related software.”
A source said, “Delay in the process of issuance of licence will immensely effect fake license trade and also cause the loss of revenue for the state. The government has affectively taken the step and rightly conferred upon Nadra so that online data of arm license holders is kept.” He added, “The government has lifted the ban on prohibited bore licenses after a decade or so, similarly, the ban on non prohibited bore and manufacturing or repairing of arms has been lifted after two years but NADRA is not cooperating with DCO office in Sialkot.”
He detailed, “This promulgation may lead to huge revenue for the state as the fees for category A, B and C arms sale licenses is Rs200,000, Rs100,000 and Rs50,000 respectively. Similarly, their renewal fees are also increased and the government will get Rs100,000, Rs70,000 and Rs50,000 for these categories. On the other hand, arms manufacturers will pay Rs500,000 for new license whereas new repairing workshops will be charged Rs25,000 per license. They shall pay Rs200,000 and Rs10,000 respectively as renewal fees per annum. For private licenses, the aggravated fees will be Rs10,000 for personal, and 15,000 for company license for the prohibited bore, and Rs2,000 will be their renewal fee per annum. For non-prohibited bore, personal license will be granted against a Rs5,000 and company license for Rs7,000 and their renewal fee will be Rs1,000 per license every year. For extension of license to all Pakistan, the government will charge Rs3,000 per license.”
Zeeshan Shah, an arms dealer, said that it was good news that the government had allowed arms license registration through Nadra but no steps in that regard had so far been taken. “The KP government has taken immediate action and are issuing license in just 15 days but here in Sialkot, we look forward to the authorities to start the practice,” he added.
When contacted, Nadra License Section In-charge Waheed said that he had no information about the lifting of the ban. However, on November 11, 2014, he himself had told this correspondent, “We are not provided with the software yet and hopefully the registration will start by December 15.” But he denied his previous version and said that he didn’t even know or heard about the Punjab Arms Rules 2014.
DCO Nadeem Sarwar, on the contrary, was aware of the rules. He said that the district administration had been ordered by the Home Department to provide Nadra with a space in DCO complex for the purpose and the order was complied but they (Nadra) did not respond to it.