Interior ministry suspends licences for automatic weapons across country

ISLAMABAD: The interior ministry has decided to suspend the licences for automatic weapons, according to a notification issued earlier this week.

The decision was made in line with Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s promise to ban all automatic weapons.

The federal government has given two options to automatic arms licence-holders; either to submit their weapons or get them replaced with semi-automatic firearms through the Pakistan Ordnance Factories or licensed arms dealers and have that verified by the district police office by January 15, 2018.

Those who will surrender their weapons to the authorities concerned would get Rs50,000 in return from the district administration, the notification read.

Failure to comply with the options will entail the cancellation of the prohibited bore licence.

It merits highlighting here that PM Abbasi, on the floor of National Assembly after taking oath as Prime Minister in August, had said that there was not a single country in the world which allowed the licencing of automatic rifles for citizens.

He then promised seizure of all kind of automatic weapons and compensation in return.

Moreover, the notices have been dispatched to the authorities concerned including the Islamabad deputy commissioner, political agents and district coordination officers for the purpose.