ISLAMABAD, March 9: Interior Minister Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat told the National Assembly that a total of 132 licences for prohibited arms had been issued to various persons belonging to Rawalpindi district.

In a written reply to a question of MMA MNA Hanif Abbasi, the minister provided a complete list of the persons possessing the weapons to the House. According to the list, 56 serving and retired personnel of armed forces are among those possessing licences of prohibited bore weapons.

Prominent personnel of armed forces who possess licences of prohibited bore weapons include former army chief Gen (retired) Abdul Waheed Kakar, who possessed three PB rifles; Air Chief Marshal (retired) Mohammad Abbas Khattak, 303 rifle, 7.62mm rifle and MP5A2 rifle; Lt-Gen Mohammad Aziz Khan, two PB weapons; Air Vice Marshal Khuda Dad Khan, MP5A2 rifle; Maj-Gen Abdul Aziz, 7.62mm rifle; Air Vice Marshal Mohammad Karamatullah, MP5A2 rifle; Maj-Gen Javed Iqbal, 7.62mm rifle; Maj-Gen (retired) Dr Zahiruddin, MP5A2 rifle; Maj-Gen (retired) Islam Hussain Naqvi, 7.62mm rifle.

Prominent civilians possessing such licences are Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, G3 rifle; Raja Faisal Zaman, 7.62mm rifle; Aamir Zaman, 7.62mm rifle; Justice Mohammad Nawaz Abbasi, PB rifle; Raja Ashfaq Sarwar, PB rifle; Hakeem Nawaz Khan Salik, PB rifle; Mohammad Arif Gondal, 7.62mm rifle; former MNA Yazdir Homi Kokabad, PB rifle; Shahid Iltaf, 222 bore; Syed Asif Kanwal, 7.62mm and 0.223 rifles.

The National Assembly was told that most of the licences were issued between 1994 and 1999.