Possession of illegal arms to be non-bailable offence in Punjab

LAHORE: The Punjab government has prepared the final draft of a bill for amendments to the Punjab Arms Ordinance 1965, which will make possession of illegal arms a non-bailable offence for the first time in the province’s history.

Stiffer punishments and heavy fines have also been proposed in the bill. The “Punjab Arms (Amendment) Act, 2024” will soon be tabled in the cabinet for approval.

Under the “Punjab Arms (Amendment) Act 2024”, possession of all types of unlicensed arms will be a non-bailable offence. According to the act, possessing a non-prohibited weapon (pistol etc.) and its bullets without a licence shall be a non-bailable offence punishable with a minimum of three years and a maximum of five years and a minimum fine of Rs1m and in case of default, 6 months more imprisonment will have to be served.

Carrying and exhibiting unlicensed weapons and bullets shall be a non-bailable offence with a minimum punishment of three years and a maximum of 7 years and a minimum fine of Rs2m and in case of default, 6-month imprisonment will have to be served. Possession of a prohibited weapon (Kalashnikov etc.) without licence is also a non-bailable offence and the punishment shall be a minimum of 4 years and a maximum of 7 years while the fine shall be a minimum of Rs2m. Manufacturing, repairing arms and ammunition and running gun shooting clubs without obtaining a licence will also be a non-bailable offence with a minimum sentence of 5 years and a maximum of 7 years and a fine of Rs 3m.