ISLAMABAD: The capital administration has banned the issuance of arms licences in response to an increase in crime and volatility.

The ban has been imposed following reports submitted to the office of the district magistrate by the capital police and Special Branch – the police intelligence wing – officers in the administration and the police told Dawn on the condition of anonymity.

A notification was issued from the office of the district magistrate stating: “In the wake of latest surge in crime and volatile law and order situation, the local police and Special Branch has requested to impose ban on issuance of arms licence.”

It said a ban has been imposed on the issuance of arms licences forthwith until further orders as a general public safety measure.

Police officers said the administration will also examine the stock and bookkeeping of arms dealers in response to another request. The administration has also been asked to make it mandatory for people who own firearms to have their registered with their local police.

The administration previously banned the issuance of arms licences after a firearms store in the Lethrar Roadarea was robbed, in which the owner and two of the allegedrobbers were killed.

Police and administration officials said the ban has nothing to do with controlling or preventing crime.

Licensed firearms are rarely used in criminal activity against property, such as robbery, they said, because those involved prefer to use illegal arms to prevent identification.

Some officers suggested that the ban was imposed in light of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl’s (JUI-F) Azadi March. They said the authorities are also considering suspending all arms licences or banning carrying arms in the capital for a limited time. They said it was possible that rivals of the JUI-F or the party’s activists and supporters may apply for licences or bring arms to the march, leading to an untoward incident, they claimed.

Inspector General of Police Mohammad Amir Zulfikar, Deputy Inspector General of Police Operation Waqaruddin Syed and Assistant Inspector General of Police Special Branch Mohammad Suleman could not be reached for comment.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2019