Is the government absolving itself of its responsibility to protect its citizens?
It is a paradoxical situation. While we had been until recently advocating for de-weaponisation of society, it seems we’re now heading in the opposite direction.
The lifting of ban on arms of prohibited bore through the "Commercial Import of Prohibited and Non-Prohibited Weapons and Ammunition (Regulation) Order, 2014," raises apprehensions about the availability of weapons and their misuse. The order which explains the guidelines the importers will have to follow also lays down procedures the government authorities must follow -- to detect irregularities in the sale and purchase of arms, such as under-invoicing, and so on.
What does the lifting of ban entail and what can its ramifications be in a society that is in a state of war against the home grown enemies? The directive has come in the midst of a post-Peshawar security-driven environment that prevails in the country, where every institution, especially the educational ones, is fighting a nervous battle for survival.
Amid the newly raised boundary walls and alert armed guards around us, such a decision is looked at cautiously. Is the government absolving itself of its responsibility to protect its citizens? Will allowing import of weapons of prohibited bore solve the problem or add to it? Do more weapons in a society essentially mean a safe and peaceful society?
According to a database of Pakistan Customs, during 2010-11 to 2013-14, around 1.2 billion rupees worth of different kinds of weapons were imported into the country. Add to it the loopholes in the existing laws that have developed a market for illegal arms and ammunition catering to warlords, private militias, militant organisations, groups affiliated with political parties, drug peddlers, and land grabbers, and you are convinced that you need to deweaponise this society instead.
These are the issues that have been discussed in today’s Special Report.