Staff Report
ISLAMABAD:
The government has now granted its approval to issue 69 licenses of prohibited bore (PB) weapons to federal ministers, judges, key civil and military officials for self protection despite the absence of new arm policy of the country.
According to sources, the federal cabinet has approved the issuing of license for prohibited bore weapons to the federal Ministers who included Fawad Chaudhry, Zubaida Jalal, federal Secretaries, generals, , high court judges, and retired officials.
As per details, cabinet has allowed issuing prohibited bore license to dozens of officials in Pakistan for self-protection. This time cabinet ahs allowed to issue two PB licenses to former chairman National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Lieutenant General Afzal Khan, one license to Justice Shakil Ahmed, Peshawar High Court PHC), two licenses to Justice Muhammad Kamran, Balochistan High Court (BHC), one license to Justice Ikram Ullah, Justice Ijaz Anwar, Justice Sahibzada Asad Ullah of PHC, Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi, Lahore High Court (LHC), Rabia Jawairi Agha, federal secretary Human Rights Ministry, Allah Bakhsh Malik, NISRC secretary, Squadron Leader (retired) Shah Rukh Nusrat, Rozi Khan Barki, Member Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Tariq Bajwa, ex-federal secretary, Ahmed Latif, managing director, National Policy Bureau, Rao Amin Hashim, former Inspector General (IG), Dr Jamal Nasir, secretary Federal Ombudsman, Jahanzaib Khan, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Azam Suleman Khan, former secretary Interior, Sher Alam Mehsood, Special Secretary Interior, Justice Raja Shahid Mehmood Abbasi,LHC and Justice Jawad Hassan Jawad etc.
The Ministry of Interior had imposed a ban on the issuance of Prohibited Bore weapons and NPB arms licenses in Pakistan on June 27, 2013. However, the federal government had lifted the ban on the issuance of prohibited bore weapons’ licenses for the Prohibited Bore category, but only to the extent of giving weapons to General Officers or equivalent, officers or other ranks of the military, in accordance with the Army Regulations (Instructions).
Under Section 11-A (2) of the Pakistan Arms Ordinance, 1965, the Interior Ministry requested that Civil/Army Officers/High Court Judges grant Prohibited Bore (PB) arms licenses in Pakistan.
Raising concerns over seeking cabinet’s permission for issuing prohibited bore licenses, some cabinet members during the course of discussion asked why cases of Prohibited Bore weapons licenses were being submitted for approval despite repeated demands to alter the law/rules to bring them under the Ministry’s jurisdiction.
The Interior Division informed that the Bill to Amend the Pakistan Arms Ordinance, 1965, was currently being debated in the Senate and was expected to be enacted soon.
It was recognized that the alteration to the law was not actually required for this specific purpose because the competent authority may be stated in the rules under the existing provisions of the Pakistan Arms Ordinance, 1965. Following a brief deliberation, the Cabinet approved the issuing of licenses for forbidden buildings to 67 applicants.
Earlier, the cabinet has delegated powers to Prime Minister Imran Khan to issue licenses of Prohibited Bore (PB) weapons by annulling powers granted to the Interior Secretary in violation of arms policy.
Now, the prime minister will be the final authority to issue licenses for all prohibited bore arms and weapons in Pakistan. Earlier, the cabinet had empowered the secretary of the interior to issue licenses of prohibited bore weapons in Pakistan.
Cases of arms licenses (prohibited and Non-prohibited Bore) were processed by the Ministry of Interior in light of arms policy 2012. Under Arms Policy 2012, the authority to issue licenses for prohibited bore weapons was to be the prime minister.
The cabinet had decided to delegated powers of issuing licenses of prohibited bore weapons to Interior Secretary. However, cabinet in a recent meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran khan has annulled the decisions to delegate powers to Interior Secretary.
The Prime Minister has observed that approval granted by the cabinet delegating the powers to issue prohibited bore arms licenses from the prime minister to the Interior secretary was not in accordance with section 11-A (2) of the Pakistan Arms Ordinance 1965.
In light of these observations, Prime Minister had directed that Interior Division submit a fresh summary seeking permission of the federal government for issuance of all prohibited bore arms licenses issued in contradiction to the provisions of Pakistan Arms Ordinance 1965.
As per section 11-A (2) and (3) of the Pakistan Arms Ordinance, 1965, the federal government has the authority to issue prohibited and non-prohibited arms licenses. Supreme Court had declared the federal government as cabinet. Hence, in accordance with the aforementioned sections of the Pakistan arms ordinance 1965, the powers to issue licenses rest with the cabinet.
However, as per policy and practice, the issuance of arms licenses continued even after the judgment of the Supreme Court. The government has also regularized the licenses issued in violation of the Supreme Court’s judgment.
Now, the government has also decided to amend Pakistan Arms Ordinance 1965 to specify appropriate authority for issuance of the prohibited bore and non-bore prohibited arms licenses. The ministry will submit a bill to amend the ordinance to the cabinet committee for Disposal of Legislative Cases (CCLC) for placement before parliament.
