KOHAT: Weapon makers in the gun-manufacturing town of Darra Adamkhel here have called for lifting a ‘ban’ on arms exports to help them salvage their business damaged by militancy and ‘official restrictions’.

It is to be mentioned here that between 400 to 700 guns were produced daily by about 2,500 workers before the gun production was halted.

Shahid Afridi, an arms dealer, told Dawn on Wednesday they had consignments ready for exports to different countries, but were waiting for an NOC from the authorities.

Bilal Afridi, another dealer, demanded the local market should be declared a special arms industry, and that a showroom should also be set up for foreigners.

The artisans said they had borne huge losses during militancy and counter-insurgency operations, and that revival of exports could bring prosperity to the town.

“We suffered dearly when former military ruler late Gen retired Pervez Musharraf slapped a ban on exports, and attacks by banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan militants, leading to shutting down of business,” Shahid Afridi said.

A weapons dealer, Haji Abdul Ghafoor, said their business had been hit when militants occupied their area and started killing elders.

He said they exported 12-bore guns to England for hunting purposes, but a strict ban had been imposed by the government.

Azam Khan, a local administration official, told Dawn giving the status of a special industry to gun-manufacturing town was in the works as rules and regulations were being framed in that regard.

He, however, said there were many impediments in the way of declaring Darra as a gun-making industry and giving the tribesmen export permits as they were not accustomed to the country’s laws and taxation systems. He said smuggling weapons could also thrive if there were no proper regulations in place.

KILLED: A boy was killed by his friend after a brawl in the city on Wednesday, the police said.

Mohammad Riaz Shaheed police station SHO Qismat Khan said Umair Qureshi, 17, shot dead his friend, Waheed in the College Town. He said the alleged killer had been arrested.

Meanwhile, the employees of revenue department on Wednesday started a pen-down strike against assistant commissioner Usman Ashraf for allegedly abusing them for negligence in free flour distribution duty. They demanded immediate transfer of the officer.

Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2023