KARACHI: Looking to raise awareness of their cause, peace-loving citizens demanding deweaponisation took part in a walkathon on Abdul Sattar Edhi Avenue on Sunday morning.

“A gun in the home does not reduce the risk of homicide or burglary because guns can rarely be used for self-defence,” said Naeem Sadiq, the real force behind the Citizens Against Weapons. “It is far more likely to victimise those who live in the home with a weapon than to use it for security reasons because research has shown that a gun in the home is 12 times more likely to result in a homicide in situations of domestic violence,” he said.

Dr Seemin Jamali, the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre’s (JPMC) acting executive director, said she believed that common citizens should not be handling weapons. “Weapons are for the law enforcement agencies, not the citizens,” she said, adding that as head of the emergency section at the JPMC she saw so many innocent souls die owing to mishandling of firearms.

‘Guns can rarely be used for self-defence’

“Weapons are not the solution to the problem, they are a part of the problem,” said Samina Tariq, an art teacher, who was also there.

Shahida Khalil, a housewife, said there were so many other positive things that one could do in life instead of concentrating on acquiring a weapon.

Besides the individuals, several organisations and schools, including the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Aurat Foundation, The Garage School, Bay View High School, etc, took part in the walk-a-cause.

All participants demanded that no citizen regardless of his or her rank or status must be allowed to possess, carry or display weapon of any kind — licensed or otherwise.

They also wanted all private militias, regardless of who their patrons were, to be disbanded in compliance with Article 256. They requested that the issuance of new weapon licences be banned and that those issued earlier be cancelled besides banning import, sale, transportation, delivery and display of all kind of weapons.

Published in Dawn, November 28th, 2016