ISLAMABAD, Jan 2: The Ministry of Interior has stopped issuing arms licences on fresh applications till Jan 31 to squeeze the influx of new applications and clear backlog, a source in the interior ministry said on Friday.

Arms licences are issued on the recommendations of parliamentarians and there is no quota restriction in this regard.

However, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Interior Rehman Malik has directed the ministry to issue new licence after due verification of the applicant from National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra).

It has been learnt that the number of applications for arms licences being submitted with the interior ministry has increased manifold since the establishment of present government making it difficult for the ministry to entertain all of them.

Interior Ministry sources said most of the applications were being submitted by workers and supporters of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

The sources said licences for both prohibited bore and non-prohibited bore arms (Kalashnikovs and 222 rifles) were being issued in large number.

It is observed that where keeping a licensed arm has become a compulsion even for a respectable and peace-loving citizen for self-defence in prevailing spate of increasing street crimes and alarming law and order situation in the country, some of the people have craze of keeping different types of arms.

The number of licenses under process including those recommended by influential persons could not be ascertained, but the ministry said it was unable to entertain new applications until the pending ones were disposed of.

The ministry had already stopped issuing computerised arms licences and new licences were issued manually. The ministry was hopeful of clearing the backlog by the end of the current month.