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Tuesday March 19, 2024

Personnel in Karachi to have their sub-machine guns replaced by pistols

KARACHI: In a move to protect citizens from misfires, directives have been issued for police personnel to carry revolvers or pistols instead of submachine guns and automatic weapons.

By Web Desk
September 22, 2018

KARACHI: In a move to protect citizens from misfires, directives have been issued for police personnel to carry revolvers or pistols instead of sub machine guns and automatic weapons.

The directives were carried over concerns that the personnel deployed on duty lack the adequate training to use the automatic weapons given to them, which increase the risk of misfire, additional IGP Amir Ahmed Shaikh stated in a notification.

He raised how citizens end up with constant threat of stray bullets rather than feeling secure in the presence of police personnel.

He added  that the weapons carried in an urban setting in such a way not only symbolizes threat  but  also  increases the chance at causalities due to unintended fires.

As per the directives, the motorcycle personnel will be equipped with either a revolver or a pistol, whereas personnel appointed with police patrolling mobiles, escorts, picket points and Madadgar 15 mobile would be armed with one pistol or revolver and a sub-machine gun.

The notification also refrains personnel from displaying or pointing automatic weapons towards the public during escort movement or mobile patrolling.