{
  "id": 4813887,
  "title": "Govt Cuts Arms License Issuance Rate by Over 90%",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/01/govt-cuts-arms-license-issuance-rate-by-over-90",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-09-01T07:06:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ProPakistani",
    "slug": "propakistani",
    "url": "https://propakistani.pk/2026/09/01/govt-cuts-arms-license-issuance-rate-by-over-90/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control was informed by the Ministry of Interior that the issuance of non-prohibited-bore arms licences has been cut by over 90 per cent, with only 5,700 licences issued in the past 13 months. Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry stated that more than 100,000 licences had previously been granted annually. A police character certificate and a parliamentarian's recommendation are now mandatory, with each constituency allowed to make five recommendations per month. Prohibited-bore licences are granted to specific individuals, including parliamentarians, judges, and military personnel. Business-category arms licences are not issued in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas. The ministry will outline the process for handling special cases. Chaudhry also addressed visa issues for Afghan nationals, noting that no visas are issued without thorough scrutiny, with extensions granted on a case-by-case basis primarily for humanitarian reasons. About one million Afghans received visas over two years when relations with Afghanistan were normal. The National Database and Registration Authority informed the committee that visa processing is divided into 18 categories managed by the Interior Ministry and four by the Foreign Ministry, mainly for businesspeople and students. Delays are attributed to security checks. Chaudhry revealed that 60 per cent of individuals involved in terrorism incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan were Afghan nationals, and cited examples of Afghan nationals involved in terrorism in Islamabad and the murder of trader Aamir. The committee learned that the Federal Investigation Agency does not typically examine passengers' mobile phones or social media accounts at airports, only checking those with prior information about human smuggling. Chaudhry mentioned that his family's social media was checked during international travel. The committee also heard about a successful Sindh Police operation in District Shikarpur that resulted in the rescue of a minor girl and another trafficked victim.",
  "summary": "The federal government has cut the issuance of non-prohibited-bore arms licences by more than 90 per cent, with only 5,700 … Read More The post Govt Cuts Arms License Issuance Rate by Over 90% appeared first on ProPakistani .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}