Govt cuts arms licence issuance by over 90pc

The federal government has slashed the issuance of non-prohibited-bore arms licences by over 90%, issuing just 5,700 permits in the past 13 months, the Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control was told on Monday. Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry disclosed that prior to the reduction, more than 100,000 licences were granted annually.

A police character certificate and parliamentary recommendation are now mandatory for licence applicants, with each constituency allowed to submit five recommendations per month. Prohibited-bore licences are exclusively issued to parliamentarians, judges, military personnel, police officers, and recipients of national awards. The ministry has no policy for issuing business-category arms licences in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the former Fata regions.

Chaudhry stated that Afghan nationals comprised 60% of those involved in terrorism incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. He also revealed that 60% of visa applications for Afghan nationals were denied, mainly due to security clearances. Chaudhry expressed concern over Afghanistan's intentions, remarking that they are not right.

He added that Afghan nationals were implicated in terror attacks in Islamabad and the murder of trader Aamir. The National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) informed the committee that Afghan visa applications are processed under 18 categories, with four handled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, delays occur due to security clearances.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) does not routinely scrutinize passengers' mobile phones or social media accounts at airports, only checking those with information about human smuggling. Chaudhry disclosed that his social media was scanned during an overseas trip with his family. The committee also heard about a Sindh Police operation in District Shikarpur, which rescued a minor girl and another trafficked victim.