Sindh govt opposes Islamabad’s new policy on automatic weapons

KARACHI: The Sindh government has opposed the new policy of Interior Ministry in Islamabad to disallow issuance of licenses of automatic weapons and of prohibited bore, saying the policy is in negation to the concept of provincial autonomy and would threaten the security of certain high-profile persons who required such extraordinary measures for their self-defence.

In this regard, the Sindh Home Department wrote a correspondence to the federal interior ministry to convey serious reservations of the provincial government over the new policy of Islamabad for issuance of weapons’ licenses, it emerged on Thursday.

The Sindh govt urged the Interior Ministry to review the policy in the light of concept of provincial autonomy as enshrined in the 18th Constitutional Amendment and in view of special security needs of certain prominent persons in the province.

The Sindh govt urged the interior ministry to evolve a comprehensive policy for issuance of weapons’ licenses after duly consulting concerned provinces. The subject of the correspondence is “Regulation of arms licenses for automatic weapons within prohibited category”. The correspondence was done by additional secretary (administration) of Sindh Home Department and addressed Federal secretary Interior.

It says: “I am directed to refer to Ministry of Interior Notification No. 15/51/2017-Arms (PB) dated 26.12.2017 on the subject noted above and to convey the stance of Government of Sindh in the following manner.

"After Constitutional 18th Amendment the subject of automatic or ordinary arms comes within the exclusive domain of the provinces under Article-142 ( c ) of the Constitution read with Schedule-4 of the Constitution. Hence, it is prerogative of Provincial Government to enact law, frame rules, and make policy to regulate arms within their jurisdiction. The Federal Government may not impose any unilateral policy/decision on the provincial government without consensus.

"The licensed weapons of the Prohibited Bore (PB)/Automatic were allowed by minister of interior to businessmen, landlords, politicians, and other prominent persons for their self-defence. Therefore, to force them to surrender/convert their automatic weapons into non-automatic/semi-automatic shall deprive them of the basic right of self-defence and leave them on the mercy of criminal elements who are in most cases, equipped with sophisticated automatic weapons. Therefore, in view of the above circumstances, the Government of Sindh seeks to oppose the said decision of Federal Government and requests that a comprehensive mechanism may be devised to regulate the arms by the Provincial Government previously issued by the Ministry of Interior, Islamabad. Furthermore, it is also proposed that the views of other may be obtained and considered."