ISLAMABAD - The federal government unveiled new policies for arms regulation and maintenance of Exit Control List, besides a number of other steps to improve security environment in the country.
Unveiling a fresh arms policy wherein no person less than 25 years age will get arms licence, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Sunday advised licence holders to get their licences validated with the National Database Registration Authority (Nadra).
Addressing a press conference here in Islamabad, he said that those who wouldn’t get their licences validated before December 31, 2015 will have their permits declared null and void. He maintained that those availing the facility will have to be genuine taxpayers. He also revealed that some 4,500 licences were declared bogus as they carried incorrect credentials of their owners.
Nisar announced measures his ministry would take to ensure a secure environment for Pakistani citizens, which included reviewing all arms licences issued since 1970, new rules for maintaining the Exit Control List (ECL) and stricter monitoring of private security companies many of whom were providing incapable guards and substandard security to citizens.
Nisar said ever since he took charge of the ministry, he had imposed a ban on issuing new arms licences. “The issuance of licences for weapons needed to be standardised and rules need to be in place so that the practice of issuing licences for patronage is eliminated,” he said.
But he said three provinces – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Balochistan – had revoked the ban on new arms licences. “The ban is now effective only in Punjab and federal areas,” remarked Nisar, adding that the federal government will officially approach the three provinces to urge them to re-enact the ban. He urged these three provinces to follow suite to ensure smooth law and order in the entire country.
The interior ministry restricted the licence issuance policy as soon as he took charge, and the ministry is still in the process of regularising the licences as arms are many in number, Nisar said. “We want to put in place a system with the help of Nadra to verify all issued licences and ensure that new licences are not issued without establishing (genuine) need,” said Nisar.
The federal interior minister also shed light on the state of private security agencies operating in the country, saying that his investigation had revealed alarming irregularities. “Hundreds of private security agencies have employed personnel who cannot operate weapons... Such agencies need to be regulated and proper checks need to be in place so that only trained and worthy individuals are employed to provide security,” Nisar said.
The minister also said a mechanism is required to be in place to keep a check on bulletproof vehicle manufacturers to ensure that customers are not being ripped off. “In our investigation we have come across several manufacturers who are providing substandard cars that can exacerbate danger rather than protecting customers.”
Nisar announced a new policy with regards to names on the Exit Control List (ECL), saying there will be no victimisation in inclusion of anyone’s name in the ECL. He said that no individual will be placed on the list for more than a year from now onwards, and names already on the list can remain so for a maximum period of three years. Nisar also said a court order will be mandatory to place anyone on the ECL.
“Pakistan is not a banana republic and it should be governed by appropriate laws,” he said. Referring to the fact that some names in the ECL exist for the last 30 years, he said “name of a person in future will be in the list for only a year.” He added that the ECL carried names of 7,500 Pakistanis.
Apparently referring to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf spearheading, the key Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) man also criticised “those issuing their own verdicts when the matter of alleged rigging in the elections is still being investigated”. He questioned why the judges of the tribunal did not refrain such people from issuing the statements.
Nisar said that thumbprint on most votes in NA-122 can’t be verified by Nadra due to poor quality of the thumb impressions and government did not put any pressure on Nadra. “Those fooling the nation on Nadra report must abstain from such practice,” he asserted.
Moreover, the minister said that Pakistan has concrete proof of RAW’s subversive activities in Pakistan which would be made public soon. He also claimed that a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) had completed its report and he in a few days will reveal important information regarding the arrest of a suspect in relation to the case of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) slain leader Imran Farooq.