Amended Arms bill tabled in Sindh Assembly

The government of Sindh has decided to amend the Sindh Arms Act, 2013, in order to launch a forensic firearm examination system to investigate the characteristics of firearms, cartridges or bullets left behind at crime scenes.

Under the new legislation it will be mandatory for a dealer and purchaser of the arm to visit a forensic lab to fire the gun once, and the ballistic signature of the weapon will be recorded at the lab’s database. After sale two spent bullets of the sold weapon will be deposited at the forensic lab. The system will help to find the registered owner of the weapon.

The arms dealer before selling the weapon will get verified thumb impression of the purchaser from National Database Registration Authority (NADRA).

The bill will also make it mandatory to produce national identity card for buying a weapon, which will not be sold without production of the identity card and compulsory submission of the documents of the buyer.

The amended arms act will come into force forthwith.

The bill has been referred to the relevant standing committee of Sindh Assembly.