LAHORE: The Punjab government has forthwith stopped the process of re-validation and computerisation of the manual arms licences issued to institutions, security companies and individuals, rendering all expired licences cancelled for good.
In a letter addressed to all the divisional commissioners, the Punjab home department announced cancellation of its March 18 letter and stopped the process of receiving new applications for the renewal of manual arms licences, which could not be renewed until Dec 31, 2020.
The home secretary has directed all the divisional commissioners to submit a consolidated report on the applications received in their respective offices during the period from March 18 to Nov 11, 2025, within two days.
The home department has sent a table to the divisional commissioner to fill it with the required information, including the number of applications received, those found valid or invalid, and how many persons were issued computerised arms licences.
All manual licences cancelled in 2020 and not renewed till Nov 11, 2025, stand null and void for good
“The reports from divisional commissioners will enable the government to take further action before the start of wide-scale de-weaponisation and surrender of illegal arms and ammunition campaign in the province,” says the letter.
The department had started the process of renewal of manual arms licences in 2016 and given Dec 31, 2020, deadline for it. The manual arms licences, not renewed, were deemed cancelled from Jan 1, 2021.
However, people continued requesting the government for the renewal of their manual arms licences, as they had failed to grab the opportunity during the five years – from Jan 1, 2016, to Dec 31, 2020.
Former home secretary Noorul Amin Mengal, who held several meetings with the chief minister on the issue, could not get approval for the issuance of new arms licences, which is banned since April 2024. However, he succeeded in creating a window for those, who had expired manual arms licences.
The former home secretary had allowed all those carrying expired manual licences to apply to the respective divisional commissioners from March 18 this year onward for the renewal and issuance of computerised licences. This opportunity has yet again ended on Nov 11, 2025.
“The manual licences cancelled in 2020 and not renewed during the eight-month window stand cancelled for good. And those having such licences are now carrying illicit arms and need to deposit the same, which would be destroyed by the government,” a source in the home department told Dawn on Thursday.
As people apprehend that they may be framed in cases, if they went to deposit their illicit arms during the de-weaponisation campaign, the home department official says the Punjab home, law and police departments are working to get the law amended and introduction of “Punjab Surrender of Illicit Arms Act 2025”.
After the law will be processed and promulgated with the Punjab Assembly’s nod, the official says, the government will give a ‘grace period’ for surrendering illicit arms to designated focal persons, without a fear of any action against them.
Under the law, the record of the voluntarily submitted illicit arms would be maintained and eventually these weapons would be destroyed under the supervision of a body specifically notified for the purpose, the official adds.
Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2025
