GUJRAT: At least 400 fake licences of firearms have been found in the concerned branch of Mandi Bahauddin deputy commissioner’s office.

Sources told Dawn the local authorities came to know that despite a ban on the issuance of firearm licences in the district since 2012, the same were being issued through bogus and back date entries in the official record by some officials after receiving hefty bribe.

Mandi Bahauddin Deputy Commissioner (DC) Tariq Basra confirmed to Dawn over telephone that there were after reports of issuance of bogus licences of firearms and to ascertain facts a complete scrutiny of the record was being conducted.

He said Additional Deputy Commissioner Revenue (ADCR) Touqeer Ilyas Cheema had been assigned the inquiry into the scam and after receiving a detailed report by him the legal proceedings against those found involved would be initiated.

He said scrutiny of the manual record of the DC office’s concerned branch and the computerised database of the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) was being conducted simultaneously, adding that an initial report by the IO might be ready within the next three to four days.

As per standard operating procedures (SOPs) set by the home department, the assistant commissioners (ACs) of the respective tehsils had been given access to the computerised data to verify the firearm licences through the owners thumb impression (biometric verification).

Official sources said the number of bogus firearm licences issued in Mandi Bahauddin district might also increase in the ongoing scrutiny as applicants from the districts as far as Multan had also been issued such licences from there (Mandi Bahauddin).

Published in Dawn, September 7th, 2021