Punjab cancels licences of 28 arms dealers, confirms Azma Bukhari

LAHORE: Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari has announced that shops of unlicensed arms dealers across the province have been sealed as part of a strict crackdown on illegal weapons.

Addressing a press conference in Lahore, here today, Azma Bukhari said 28 arms dealers have had their licences revoked, while no new weapons licences will be issued in the province.

“At present, more than one million people in Punjab possess firearms,” she revealed.

Bukhari said all licenced weapons must be registered at service centres, adding that the provincial government has zero tolerance for illegal arms possession.

She further stated that 559 individuals are currently on physical remand, while some have been sent to jail. “Anyone attempting to incite violence or forcibly shut down markets will face terrorism charges,” she warned.

The Punjab information minister also said that the provincial government has established a Special Prosecution Cell on the directives of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to ensure effective implementation of the law.

Commenting on recent political developments, Bukhari said the federal government will decide the fate of an extremist group.

She clarified that “no mosque has been closed, nor will any be closed,” and reiterated that the use of loudspeakers without legal permission remains strictly prohibited.