Pakistan’s federal government has slashed the issuance of non-prohibited-bore arms licences by more than 90 percent, with only 5,700 licences granted over the past 13 months compared to over 100,000 issued annually in previous years.
A Dramatic Drop From Past Norms
Speaking before the Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control, Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry revealed that more than 100,000 arms licences had previously been issued annually across the country. The steep decline to just 5,700 over 13 months marks one of the most significant tightening measures on civilian firearm ownership in recent years.
New Vetting Requirements
Officials cited several new controls behind the sharp fall in approvals, including mandatory police character certificates designed to screen out applicants with criminal records, a requirement for parliamentarian recommendations, and a strict cap of five recommendations per National Assembly constituency each month. Business-category arms licences have also been suspended entirely in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the former FATA region.
Minister Links Curbs to Cross-Border Militancy
Chaudhry told the committee that roughly 60 percent of those involved in terrorism incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan were Afghan nationals, remarking that “Afghanistan is our neighbour but its intentions are not right.” The comments come as security forces continue to battle a wave of militant attacks in the country’s western provinces, including a major assault on a Reko Diq mining convoy in Chagai district that was repelled on Monday.
Balancing Rights and Security
Senator Faisal Saleem Rehman, who chaired Monday’s committee meeting, is expected to review the new licensing framework further in coming sessions. While the tighter rules have drawn support from security officials as a means of curbing illegal weapons proliferation, some lawmakers have raised concerns about the burden placed on law-abiding citizens seeking licences for personal protection or sport.
The interior ministry said it would continue monitoring the impact of the new rules as part of a broader push to strengthen internal security across the country.
