KARACHI: As the deadline for computerised arms licence applications ended on Feb 15, fewer than half of the one million licensees in the province have approached the authorities concerned to get their licences verified and computerised, it emerged on Sunday.

There is no word from the government so far that it would further extend the deadline, which had been earlier extended twice. However, a senior official said that a proposal to accept more applications in a certain time limit and with some penalty was also under consideration.

“Some 450,000 licence holders have filed the applications for verification and computerised arm licenses,” Additional Chief Secretary (home) Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah told Dawn. “With total around one million licensees across the province, we believe 100,000 to 150,000 are those whose licences are too old and they are no more interested. The same number of licences has been issued to private security companies and their guards and the process (for computerisation) is yet to be initiated.”

He said although the deadline had passed, there was also a chance for some relaxation if the chief minister allowed accepting more applications with some penalty for those who had not taken advantage of the process.

“But it depends on the CM,” added Mr Shah. “If he allows, a further programme can be announced,” he said. “It can’t be said with authority about the reasons for such a reaction from those who did not apply for the computerised licences.”

He said that it was suspected that the licences of such persons were illegal and therefore they did not follow the process.

The Sindh government in September 2013 had banned issuance of new arms licences before launching a campaign against illicit weapons in Karachi in Oct 2013 in line with the Supreme Court orders that included verification of hundreds of thousands of licences.

Later, the people were asked to complete the computerisation process for their arms licences till Dec 31, 2013. However, before the deadline ended, the Sindh government had further extended it till Jan 31. Finally, Feb 15 was set as the final deadline.

After the deadline, the government had also announced that it would launch a campaign to recover illegal weapons. However, that campaign might not begin anytime soon considering the cumbersome process of verification and computerisation of the arms licences, which is going on in every district of Sindh.

Meanwhile, it seems that the 450,000 applicants have to wait more to get the computerised documents, which is being prepared in assistance of the National Database and Registration Authority.

“We have decided to inform the applicants through cellphone message about the fate of their application,” said the additional chief secretary Shah. “The applicants will be informed about the date and place for getting their computerised licence. The process has already been initiated for this purpose.”