Gun Policy News
Firearm violence, gun control and small arms
India,Pakistan,China
India to Reject Arms Trade Treaty, Alleges Bias Against Arms Importers
28 March 2013
Times of India
NEW DELHI - New Delhi is set to reject a global arms trade treaty (ATT) since the agreement is heavily loaded against weapons-importing countries like India, and let exporting nations like the US and China call the shots. The treaty, meant to regulate all transfers of conventional arms around the world, is likely to be passed by the UN General Assembly next week. India's inability to establish an indigenous defence production industry may now become a strategic... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Times of India
37251
Pakistan
Shootings on the Rise in Pakistan's Business Hub
25 March 2013
BBC News
"Have you absolutely lost your mind?" That was my mother's predictable response.
"People are trying to get out of this god-forsaken city," she said, "and you are planning to come back!"
Her fears aren't entirely exaggerated. Facts speak for themselves: last year was the bloodiest year for Karachi in nearly two decades, with about 2,000 people killed in drive-by shootings, bombings, and revenge attacks.
That is based on reported figures. A lot of threats, extortion... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
37233
Africa,Americas,Asia,Europe,Oceania,United States,Russia,Italy,Germany,Brazil,Switzerland,Israel,Austria,South Korea,Belgium,Spain,Turkey,Norway,Canada,United Kingdom,Australia,France,Pakistan,Yemen,Honduras,El Salvador,Jamaica
Fact and Figures: Global Trade in Small Arms
18 March 2013
al Jazeera
Diplomats from around the world have gathered at the UN for talks on an international arms trade treaty, in an effort to stop the sale of illegal conventional arms.
Similar talks held last July failed, mainly due to the objections of the US and Russia, the world's two largest arms exporters.
Al Jazeera has compiled a list of facts related to the global production and trading of small arms.
1. Authorised international transfers of small arms, light weapons, their... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: al Jazeera
37196
Pakistan
Pakistan Passes New Gun Law But Critics Fear Poor Implementation
24 February 2013
International News (Karachi), Editorial
In an effort to limit arms proliferation the Sindh Assembly passed legislation on Thursday increasing the term of imprisonment for possession of an illegal weapon from three to 14 years. Pakistan is a country awash with guns, both legal and illegal, with the latter probably outnumbering the former. There are entire communities regarded as 'armed.' Politicians have been behind much of the perfectly legal proliferation of guns in our society as they have a 'quota' of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: International News (Karachi)
37105
Pakistan
Pakistan's Gun Makers Protest Election Ban, Blame Illegal Guns
30 January 2013
Express Tribune (Pakistan) / International Herald Tribune
PESHAWAR - A nationwide ban on the issuance of new small arms licences has hit manufacturing units hard, Peshawar's gunsmiths told The Express Tribune on Tuesday.
While talking to The Express Tribune, Siraj Afridi, the proprietor of City Arms, explained that locals do not purchase arms from Peshawar's gun shops, as they prefer indigenously-made arms from Darra Adam Khel. The 80 functional small arms manufacturing units operating in Peshawar rely solely on orders from... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Express Tribune (Pakistan) / International Herald Tribune
37016
Pakistan
Pakistan Bans Issuing of New Gun Licences Ahead of Election
5 January 2013
Express Tribune (Pakistan) / International Herald Tribune
KARACHI - The Sindh government has banned the issuance of new weapons' licences until the general election.
The decision comes following the recommendation of the chief election commissioner to finalise security and administrative arrangements for the elections, said an official of the Sindh home department. Fakharuddin G. Ebrahim proposed banning new permits for weapons during a meeting of the election commission on Wednesday.
The notification has yet to be issued... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Express Tribune (Pakistan) / International Herald Tribune
36903
Zimbabwe,Pakistan,Colombia,United States,Brazil
Brazil Should Continue Responsible Gun Control, Reduce Deaths Further
25 December 2012
Rio Times, Opinion
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Last week's slaughter of twenty elementary school children in the United States has tragic echoes with the massacre in Realengo, Rio de Janeiro earlier this year. At 8:30 AM on April 7th, Wellington Oliveira calmly walked into a classroom with two .38 and .32 caliber handguns, and shot twelve children dead.
At least sixty shots were fired and twenty boys and girls were critically wounded. It was the worst school massacre in Brazilian history.... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Rio Times
36868
Pakistan,India
Authorities Worried About Gun Crime, Availability of Weapons Rising
7 November 2012
Gulf Times (Doha) / Agence France Presse
It was a classic bank heist in many ways. Armed men using a stolen car and motorbikes held up a van carrying cash in central New Delhi, shot a guard, and made off with the money.
While familiar in many countries and a set-piece of Hollywood films, it set alarm bells ringing in India where gun crime and armed robbery is still low by the standards of other developing countries in Latin America or Africa.
The daylight robbery in September and several mass shootings in... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Gulf Times (Doha) / Agence France Presse
36720
Pakistan,India
Drugs, Firearms Found on Trains from Pakistan to India Despite Crackdown
11 October 2012
Hindustan Times (Delhi)
Frequent seizures of heroin, arms and ammunition, and fake currency from goods train as well as Samjhauta Express coming from Pakistan have thrown up serious security challenges for India. Despite regular protest letters from India and meetings of customs officials of both sides, things haven't changed but only gone bad.
The recent seizure of 105-kg heroin has baffled the security agencies. Not only heroin, many a time, the customs and other agencies have seized... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Hindustan Times (Delhi)
36638
Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,United States,Pakistan,Cuba,Iran,China,Russia
Arms Trade Treaty Should Cover Broad Range of Arms and Ammunition
8 July 2012
New York Times, Editorial
The world is awash in conventional weapons, like tanks, firearms and aircraft, with the market valued at $40 billion to $60 billion a year. Far too many of these arms are fueling conflicts and atrocities in Syria, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and beyond. They have been used to kill countless innocent civilians, and they will be used against countless more if the international community does not find a way to keep them out of the hands of unscrupulous regimes,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New York Times
36316
Colombia,Chad,Sudan,Congo (DRC),Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,European Union,Pakistan,India,China,Africa,Russia,Syria
NGOs Set Minimum Specifications for Arms Trade Treaty [Francais]
27 June 2012
Le Monde (France), Opinion
[Translated summary: Associations, NGOs and hundreds of members of the global coalition "Control Arms" have set minimum specifications for the future Arms Trade Treaty. It will have to control all types of conventional arms and ammunition used by military as well as by law enforcement, since they can be used for serious human rights violations. ATT will include exports but also imports, transit and all types of transfers and all actors, such as arms brokers, like Viktor... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Le Monde (France)
36280
China,Pakistan
Booming Sales of Pistols and Other Small Arms in Karachi, Pakistan
16 June 2012
Pakistan Today
KARACHI - The legal and illegal sale of the light weapons in the violence-hit metropolis is skyrocketing as the target killers appear to have an inclination for using the arms that are lethal but handy. These small-sized deadly arms are: 9MM, 30 bore and .22 pistol.
According to police sources, in over 90 percent incidents of targeted killings in the city the killers had used small-size but highly sophisticated weapons during the last five months.
The sources said the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Pakistan Today
36252
Pakistan
Court Orders Raid, Closes 3 Pakistani Gun Shops Selling Assault Weapons
7 June 2012
Dawn (Karachi)
NAUSHAHRO FEROZE - Three shops of arms and ammunition were sealed by the first judicial magistrate of Moro on Thursday on charge of sale of prohibited bore arms.
Judicial Magistrate-I Sohail Ahmed Mashori raided arms and ammunition shops and ordered sealing of three shops belonging to Mohammad Ali and brothers, Miandad Loond arms and ammunition dealer and one other person.
The magistrate raided shops in presence of reporters and found that over 200 automatic,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Dawn (Karachi)
36226
United States,France,United Kingdom,China,Pakistan,Venezuela,Cuba,Iran,Algeria,Egypt,Russia,Syria,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
New Global Arms Treaty Must Set Tough, Legally Binding Rules - Oxfam
29 May 2012
Chicago Tribune / Reuters
LONDON - States must set legally binding global rules on weapon and ammunition sales, aid agency Oxfam said on Tuesday, ahead of a United Nations summit to agree an arms treaty to prevent arms reaching human rights violators.
Citing the example of Syria, which has continued to receive arms shipments even as it is accused of killing more than 9,000 civilians in a crackdown on a popular uprising, Oxfam said it is vital that regulations on weapons sales are... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Chicago Tribune / Reuters
36186
Brazil,Turkey,China,Pakistan,Central Asia,Russia,Afghanistan
Where Do 20 Million Illegal Guns Come From? Afghanistan, Says Pakistan
17 May 2012
Express Tribune (Pakistan)
KARACHI - There are an estimated 20 million illegal arms in circulation in Pakistan.
This includes serious firepower: law enforcement authorities are increasingly coming under attack from criminals and terrorists armed with heavy weapons such as grenades (including rocket-propelled ones), long-range sniper rifles and machine guns. The volatile situation in Lyari was a case in point, where despite the fact that police were equipped with tank-like armoured personnel... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Express Tribune (Pakistan)
36145
Pakistan
Large Cache of Automatic AK-47, Handguns, Ammo Seized in Pakistan
15 May 2012
Pakistan Today
RAWALPINDI - Police and law enforcement agencies Tuesday have ceased costly weapons, which were being smuggled from lawless area to Punjab and arrested two outlaws.
Police received a tip off that heavy amount of weapons are being smuggled in a van registration number (LES-9070). However police stopped the van near Khamida check post for checking and found 10 Repeater guns, 10 automatic Kalashinkov, 50 pistols, five Revolver and 3500 bullets and arrested two persons.... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Pakistan Today
36136
United States,France,China,Pakistan,Afghanistan,Sweden
Pakistan a 'Very Gun-friendly Society,' 9 in 10 Owners Unlicensed
30 April 2012
Dawn (Karachi)
On January 25 this year, 32-year-old Waqas, a garment factory employee was hit by a bullet in New Karachi and he died. The bullet was not fired from the gun of a target killer, but by friends of a bridegroom amidst late-night wedding celebrations.
Two children aged 10 and 12, died in Sialkot in a similar incident on February 20, when the jubilant brother of a bridegroom unleashed a burst of bullets.
Such accidents, almost an every-day affair in Pakistan, never make it... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Dawn (Karachi)
36091
Pakistan
Gun Makers Express Strong Reservations Over New Pakistan Arms Policy
8 April 2012
Express Tribune (Pakistan)
PESHAWAR - Expressing strong reservations over the Small Arms Manufacturing Policy 2011, arms manufacturers say that the sector is small and passing through difficult times and should be given some concessions.
Manufacturers say that fixing a production quota for each factory will prove fatal, so it must be abandoned and fixed only for 'at a time basis'.
In its proposals, the Hunting and Sporting Arms Manufacturers Association Peshawar has argued that they cannot hire... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Express Tribune (Pakistan)
36006
Pakistan
Police Accused of Fumbling Crime Gun Ballistics in Pakistan
19 March 2012
Tribune (Pakistan)
KARACHI - Every gun leaves a unique mark on the bullets it fires. This is true for every firearm in the world. This fact makes it all the more baffling that there is no centralised database that contains the ballistic signatures – the term for these unique marks – in Pakistan.
Despite repeated calls made by senior police officers for such an integrated system, the requests have fallen on deaf ears.
Take the example of Sindh, in particular Karachi. Despite the fact... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Tribune (Pakistan)
35918
Pakistan
Debate Over Allowing Ex-senators Licences for Banned Firearms in Pakistan
14 March 2012
Dawn (Karachi), Opinion
The interior minister has promised the outgoing members of the Senate quite a few parting gifts. While it is difficult to hold that his fit of generosity meets the test of good sense, it is his offer to allow the ex-senators licences for prohibited bore firearms that will cause widespread alarm.
The desire of parliamentarians to go on enjoying VIP status even after retirement is known. Some years ago, the list of post-retirement privileges demanded for the speaker of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Dawn (Karachi)
35913
Pakistan,Iran,Egypt,Russia,United States,Somalia,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
A 'Bulletproof' Arms Trade Treaty Could Slow the Global Flow of Guns
8 March 2012
MediaGlobal News (New York)
Every day, according to Amnesty International, thousands of people are killed, injured, raped, and forced to flee from their homes as a result of armed conflict, armed violence, and human rights violations and abuses perpetrated using conventional arms.
As violence continues unchecked around the world, a coalition of humanitarian and health organizations is rallying support for a "bulletproof" global Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), to be discussed in July, that would stymie... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: MediaGlobal News (New York)
35894
Timor-Leste,Thailand,Sri Lanka,Myanmar,Indonesia,South Asia,South East Asia,Israel,Iran,Cuba,United States,Japan,China,Brunei,Philippines,Pakistan,India,Asia
UN Urges Asian Nations to Help Curb Global Trade in Illegal Guns
6 March 2012
Jakarta Post
The United Nations is urging all nations in the Asia region to implement concrete solutions to stop illegal trading in small arms and light weapons.
"Over the past decades, trade has made this region grow so phenomenally. If you are a region where international trade is what makes you tick, you better also make sure that you are seen as doing trade in the right way," UN disarmament affairs official Daniel Prins told reporters on the sidelines of opening the Asian... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Jakarta Post
35886
Nepal,Myanmar,Sri Lanka,Bangladesh,Mauritius,Libya,Morocco,Saudi Arabia,Iran,Turkey,Thailand,Indonesia,Malaysia,France,China,United States,Pakistan
Pakistan Has Achieved Self Sufficiency in Small Arms and Ammunition
5 March 2012
Indian Defence Review
After partition, Pakistan did not inherit any military production facilities. In 1951, the Pakistan Ordnance Factory was established at Wah cantonment to produce small arms, ammunition and explosives. After 1965, Pakistan, apart from shifting its overwhelming arms supplies reliance from the US to China and other western countries like France; also began to concentrate on expanding its defence production facilities. In this, it received effusive assistance from... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Indian Defence Review
35895
Philippines,Trinidad & Tobago,Zimbabwe,Zambia,Uganda,Tanzania,Senegal,Congo (DRC),Pakistan,Nigeria,Niger,Namibia,Morocco,Mauritania,Malawi,Madagascar,Côte d'Ivoire,Burkina Faso,Botswana,Egypt,Angola,Algeria,South Africa,Ghana,China,United States,Austria,Russia,Israel,Bahrain,Asia,Africa,Brazil
Brazil Arms Exports: Country Preaches Peace, Sells Tons of Arms
28 February 2012
Huffington Post (USA)
A small, scratched metal can thrown on the ground created Brazil's first diplomatic embarrassment of 2012. The canister of tear gas had been collected by pro-democracy activists in Bahrain. Stamped across the can in blue was a Brazilian flag and the words 'MADE IN BRAZIL.'
One year had passed since Bahrain became the stage for pro-democracy protests by the majority Shiites against the Sunni monarchy commanded by king Hamad bin-Isa Khalifa. The protesters had been... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Huffington Post (USA)
35870
Pakistan
Campaign Against Illegal Weapons in Pakistan, 425 Arrested - Police
18 February 2012
Business Recorder (Pakistan) / APP
LAHORE - Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Ahmad Raza Tahir said that police had registered 425 cases and arrested 425 people in a campaign against illegal weapons last month.
The police have recovered three Kalashnikovs, 13 rifles, 28 guns, 347 pistols, 17 revolvers, two carbines, one mauzers, six daggers, 61 magazines and hundreds of bullets.
The CCPO said the crackdown against illegal weapons to rid the city of crime and criminal elements should be intensified. He... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Business Recorder (Pakistan) / APP
35849
Pakistan
Police, Clerk Accused of Issuing 27,000 Fake Pakistan Gun Licences
15 February 2012
Nation (Pakistan)
NANKANA SAHIB - A high-level committee has been constituted to look into the matter of 27,000 fake arms licenses issued allegedly in connivance with a police official and a clerk of the DCO office.
The committee comprises the director anti-corruption, the DCO and DPO of Nankana, Deputy director and circle officer of anticorruption. The committee will investigation how many dacoits and criminals got licenses issued by district government the the police employees.
Mulvi... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Nation (Pakistan)
35840
United States,Pakistan
US Consular Employee Arrested with 17 Pistols at Pakistan Airport
14 February 2012
AAJ News (Pakistan)
US national William Charles was arrested at the Peshawar airport on Tuesday morning. The police found 17 9mm pistols and numerous 9mm bullets in his possession, AajNews reported.
Sources revealed, that the US national was traveling on flight PK218 which was heading to Islamabad from Peshawar when he was detained by the ASF personnel.
William Charles is employed by the American consulate in Peshawar.
According to a local news channel, the Airport Security Force... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: AAJ News (Pakistan)
35829
Madagascar,Guinea,Ghana,Botswana,Angola,Algeria,South Africa,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Russia,Austria,Israel,Germany,Italy,United States,Yemen,Philippines,Pakistan,Sri Lanka,Tunisia,Brazil,Burkina Faso,Egypt,Côte d'Ivoire,Malawi,Mauritania,Morocco,Namibia,Niger,Nigeria,Congo (ROC),Senegal,Tanzania,Uganda,Zambia,Zimbabwe,Argentina,Ecuador
Brazilian Gun Industry Seeks New Markets: Africa and Asia [Portugues]
27 January 2012
Publica (Brazil)
[Translated summary: With the support of the Ministries of Defence and Foreign Affairs, Brazilian gun manufacturers seek new markets in countries with a history of human rights violations: Tunisia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Philippines and Yemen. Brazil is among the six countries in the world with annual exports exceeding $ 100 million, according to recent research from Small Arms Survey. According to the Army, responsible for supervising and controlling exports from 2005 to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Publica (Brazil)
35794
Jamaica,Honduras,Israel,Canada,Norway,Australia,Colombia,El Salvador,United States,Venezuela,Pakistan,Mexico
Armed Societies, Another Tragedy for Women: Mexico, Pakistan, Venezuela
9 December 2011
Inter Press Service News Agency
CARACAS - Kairobis Arcia, 25, died from a bullet to her head shot by her husband, Oswaldo Mendoza, 32, who said he was blinded by jealousy in an argument fuelled by alcohol and drugs.
Her murder was just one of the more than 468,000 homicides a year that occur worldwide, 42 percent of which are committed with firearms. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the global murder rate is 6.9 per 100,000 people – 11.9 per 100,000 among men and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Inter Press Service News Agency
35654
Turkey,Pakistan
19,000 Handguns, 3 Million Rounds of Ammo Seized at Pakistani Airport
3 December 2011
International News (Karachi)
PESHAWAR - Two more consignments of arms were seized at the Peshawar Airport during the last couple of days while the Interior Ministry and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Department of Home and Tribal Affairs have launched separate inquiries into the import of tens of thousands foreign-made weapons allegedly through illegal means.
Sources said the officials involved have started approaching different quarters to save their skin following the appearance of reports about the scam in... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: International News (Karachi)
35620
Pakistan
Guns Used in 80% of Violence Against Pakistani Women, Claims NGO Survey
18 November 2011
International News (Karachi)
Raising serious questions regarding the free availability of small arms in the country, a survey conducted by a local civil society organisation says that in almost 80% cases of violence against women the perpetrators use small arms to torture or kill the victims.
The findings were shared by a representative of a national NGO Awaz Foundation at a two-day multilateral consultative workshop titled 'Towards Pakistan's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Report 2012,'... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: International News (Karachi)
35558
Pakistan
Government Builds Industrial Estate for Illegal Gun Makers in Pakistan
7 November 2011
Central Asia Online (USA)
PESHAWAR – An industrial park will be established in Dara Adamkhel to help transform the illicit arms-manufacturing businesses of tribesmen into legal entities capable of earning export revenue.
The Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) Development Authority recently approved Rs. 196m (US $2.3m) for setting up the industrial business park, Zarar Imtenan of the Pakistan Hunting & Sporting Arms Development Company (PHSADC) said.
"The PHSADC in a meeting with... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Central Asia Online (USA)
35515
Pakistan
Spread of Armed Violence in Pakistan Truly Alarming: 'Too Many Guns'
18 October 2011
Tribune (Pakistan), Editorial
The rate at which violence is spreading in our society is truly alarming. On the afternoon of October 17, hundreds witnessed an incident on Lahore's busy Jail Road, on the pedestrian bridge located outside the city's prestigious Kinnaird College, where a young man pumped five bullets into a second year student from the institute and then shot himself dead. The killer, Shams Alam, was 23; the victim, Samar Wasti was 19. Two young lives have ended tragically, leaving many... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Tribune (Pakistan)
35439
Pakistan
Guns Easily Available and Increasingly Used Against Women in Pakistan
30 September 2011
Inter Press Service News Agency
PESHAWAR - Guns available in new abundance in the troubled north of Pakistan are increasingly being used on women in 'honour' killings and domestic disputes, according to local reports.
"About 65 percent of the women killed fall prey to gunfire in honour-related cases and issues relating to domestic violence," local security analyst Brigadier (retired) Muhammad Saad told IPS.
Citing a study by the local Awaz Foundation, he said the problem has been caused by easy... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Inter Press Service News Agency
35342
Pakistan
Computerisation of Firearm Licences in Pakistan: a Right Initiative
18 September 2011
Associated Press of Pakistan
ISLAMABAD - Proliferation of small arms are known to have played a pivotal role in fueling insurgency, terrorism as well as formation of urban gangs and at the same time undermined development initiatives or other moves to bring about peace in the country.Successive regimes kept adopting numerous measures to stop the relentless spread of firearms in society and also launched campaigns in their tenures, but all this went in vain.Today as the already fragile law and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press of Pakistan
35291
Kyrgyzstan,Czech Republic,Pakistan,Afghanistan,Central Asia,Russia,Uzbekistan,China,Kazakhstan,European Union,United States,Colombia,Iran
Smuggling of Small Arms in Central Asia Is Endemic - British Expert
2 August 2011
Journal of Turkish Weekly (Turkey), Transcript
British intelligence analyst and journalist Richard M. Bennett says the Fergana Valley is extremely vulnerable to the covert smuggling of arms and drugs, despite the official reports of Central Asian governments denying its highlighted status. Mr. Bennett told JTW that Russia has been responsible for an overwhelming amount of illegal arms circulating in ex-Soviet Central Asia. In his view, Russia's military intelligence (GRU) is the mastermind of major trafficking... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Journal of Turkish Weekly (Turkey)
35152
Pakistan,South Asia,China,United States,United Kingdom,Germany,France,India,Nepal
Global Gun Trade Treaty the Only Way to Control 'Arms Bazaar'
25 July 2011
República (Kathmandu), Opinion
In 2009, I recall visiting a militant camp in India's North East a day before they would surrender. The deputy commander who was in charge and allegedly responsible for the death of at least 200 people brandished his M16 assault rifle and flaunted his bodyguard who was following him with a rocket launcher. He was calm but shifty-eyed and admitted having a personal saving of a few billion INR in his account. Barely 24 hours after his formal surrender, he was in seen in... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: República (Kathmandu)
35116
Pakistan
Karachi a City of Death: Urgent Need to Recover a Million Illegal Guns
8 July 2011
International News (Karachi), Editorial
Violent death, with its shroud of red, once more walks along the streets of Karachi and besides the 15 million people who live there. More than 90 have died within four days — 13 in attacks on three buses. The gunmen who freely roam the streets shoot indiscriminately, though there is, as before, an ethnic dimension to the killings. Political parties have been accused of fuelling these tensions, using murder and terror as a tactic in the ruthless game played out in the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: International News (Karachi)
35035
European Union,Bulgaria,Russia,West Africa,Pakistan,France,Australia,United Kingdom,Canada,Germany,Italy,United States,Haiti,Côte d'Ivoire,Madagascar
Study Finds Small Arms Have Serious Impact on Fragile States
6 July 2011
Voice of America
A new study finds the global authorized trade in small arms, light weapons, and their ammunition is worth nearly $7.1 billion a year. In its annual report, the independent think tank, the Geneva Forum, also examines the serious impact small arms proliferation is having upon three so-called fragile states-Madagascar, Ivory Coast and Haiti.
Arms exporters
The survey finds in 2008, the United States, Italy and Germany topped the list of 14 top exporters of small arms... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Voice of America
35022
Oceania,Africa,Pakistan,Americas,Europe,Asia
Need to 'Disarm Society to Make it More Secure and Strengthen Pakistan'
22 June 2011
Observer (Pakistan)
ISLAMABAD — "It is not the weapon but the sophistication of weapon which threatens the human beings and makes the militant stronger" commented Brig (R) Muhammad Saad at a seminar on 'Proliferation of Small Arms and their Impact on Internal Security Dynamics' held in Islamabad on Friday.
The speakers called for strict check on proliferation of small arms and prohibition of gun violence by restricting use of arms. Irfan Mufti of SAP-Pakistan suggested that "we should... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Observer (Pakistan)
34973
Africa,Pakistan,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas
Small Arms Cause 60-90 Per Cent Deaths Each Year in Pakistan
19 June 2011
Nation (Pakistan)
ISLAMABAD - Small arms are the reason for 60 to 90 per cent deaths due to direct conflicts that occur each year.
Approximately 90,000 people were killed every year while 1.5 million people were injured every year. Ismat Ullah Khan, Project Officer of SPADO, an NGO, supporting implementation of UN programme of action and de-weaponisation, said this during a press conference here on Saturday.
He said there is trade of small arms worth $ 10 billion in black market per... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Nation (Pakistan)
34971
Pakistan
Pakistani Government is Unlikely to Agree to the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)
15 June 2011
Observer (Pakistan)
ISLAMABAD — Pakistan is unlikely to agree to the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), in its present format, as Ministry of Foreign Affairs argues that linking of arms transfers with human rights criteria may have severe implications. The first meeting of inter-ministerial meeting of experts' group on conventional arms was chaired by Director, Disarmament, in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on May 12, 2011.
As per decisions of the senior level Inter-Ministerial meeting on Arms... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Observer (Pakistan)
34943
Pakistan
Pakistani Investigation on Military Forces Shooting Unarmed Teenager
9 June 2011
San Francisco Chronicle / AP
KARACHI, Pakistan - Pakistani authorities are investigating a video that appeared to show paramilitary forces shooting to death an unarmed teenager in the southern port city of Karachi, officials said Thursday as hundreds of angry mourners attended his funeral.
Video aired repeatedly on TV and a version posted online showed the bleeding teen begging for help. It sparked another controversy for the Pakistani military, which is still reeling from criticism following the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: San Francisco Chronicle / AP
34913
Pakistan
Pakistan Government Approves Journalists Carrying Guns for Self Defence
2 June 2011
Press Trust of India
Journalists in Pakistan have been allowed to carry small firearms for self-defence following the killing of scribe Syed Saleem Shahzad, Pakistan interior minister Rehman Malik said on Wednesday.
Pakistani journalists, like the army, are battling negative forces, Malik said. To ensure their safety, orders have been issued to allow journalists to carry small arms for self-defence, he said.
Malik also promised to probe allegations about ISI's involvement in his... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Press Trust of India
34887
Pakistan
Arms Dealers Under Police Scrutiny in Pakistan Target Killing Incidents
7 March 2011
Daily Times (Lahore)
KARACHI - After the investigation of 26 alleged target killers, police in the metropolis has started to collect the data of arms dealers and also decided to gather information regarding small arms buyers.
The method will help investigating the arrested accused 89 target killers who had been involved in target killing for the last three years.
The forensic division of Sindh police had also started collection of data regarding the arms dealers, sources said. The sources... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Times (Lahore)
34517
Pakistan
Pakistan Civil Society Suggests Seizing, Destroying All Guns in Karachi
20 January 2011
Daily Times (Lahore) / APP
KARACHI - Activists of civil society and businessmen have called for one point agenda - a complete deweaponisation of the city to control the ongoing target killing in Karachi.
They are strongly advocating for combing the city to rid it of weapons and ammunition.
Deweaponisation should be across-the-board and all over the city to get rid of the recurrence of violence in the economic hub of the country. They also called upon political parties not to patronise and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Times (Lahore) / APP
34234
Pakistan
Bill to 'Deweaponise' Pakistan, Seize Both Licensed, Unlicensed Guns
18 January 2011
News International (Karachi)
ISLAMABAD - The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) filed a draft bill — Deweaponisation of Pakistan Bill (2011) — with the National Assembly Secretariat here on Monday, seeking deweaponization across the country.
The proposed law aims at banning production, proliferation, smuggling, import and use of firearms, ammunition and weapons for restoration of peace and public order throughout Pakistan. The party also suggested formation of a parliamentary panel to have an... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: News International (Karachi)
34259
Saudi Arabia,Pakistan,Japan,United Kingdom,Switzerland,Finland,Yemen,United States
Civilians Own 74% Of All Guns Globally, Firearm Laws Differ Greatly
15 December 2010
Times of India
The 'Gun Debate' has engaged many parts of the world for decades and both public opinion and lawmakers in different countries differ considerably on this question. Interestingly, 74% of all firearms globally are owned by civilians.
The right to own a firearm is a major issue in US politics and many Americans consider the possession of firearms a time-honoured custom. Strong gun-supporting lobbies like the National Rifle Association spend millions of dollars to fight... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Times of India
33838
Pakistan
Karachi Tries to Disarm City, National Government Mulls Gun-free Pakistan
25 August 2010
CentralAsiaOnline.com
KARACHI – As civil society in Karachi is urging the government to de-weaponise the city, the government is devising a strategy for making the whole country gun-free, Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik has hinted.
During the first three weeks of August, about 175 people were slain in Karachi, according to the data obtained from the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP). The data show that 1,106 murders were committed in the first seven months of this year,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: CentralAsiaOnline.com
33223
United States,United Nations,Pakistan,France
Principle of Global Gun Trade Treaty 'Now Agreed by All Countries' at UN
23 July 2010
Washington Post / AP
UNITED NATIONS - The world's nations took the first steps at a conference that ended Friday toward a legally binding treaty that would try to regulate the multibillion dollar arms trade and prevent the transfer of weapons to armed groups fueling conflicts, terrorists and human rights violators.
When the conference began two weeks ago in the 192-member General Assembly, many delegates were uncertain whether there would be wide support for a treaty regulating a trade... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Washington Post / AP
33073
Pakistan
Three Ministers Arrested for Shooting Opponent at Pakistan Polling Booth
8 February 2010
Daily Times (Lahore)
ISLAMABAD -- A Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) worker was gunned down by political opponents at a polling station on Sunday, soon after polls closed for a vacant AJK Legislative Assembly seat.
Captain (r) Tariq Mehmood was shot after Muslim Conference (MC) workers fired on PPP activists at the end of balloting for LA-40 Valley 5 at G-6/2 polling station. Mehmood was rushed to the Polyclinic, but doctors pronounced him dead as soon as he arrived at the hospital.
Later,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Times (Lahore)
32061
Pakistan
Political Patronage, PM Flood Pakistan with 400,000 Private Gun Permits
16 January 2010
News International (Karachi), Editorial
What is the point of having firearms legislation if the prime minister and the minister of state for the interior drive a coach and horses through it merely to gratify the wishes of their political cronies?
Since the last week of March 2008 more than 38,800 people have been issued with licences for prohibited bore weapons – Kalashnikovs and Uzis, for instance – mostly on the direct order of these two office-holders.
There has been no police check or any sort of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: News International (Karachi)
32006
Russia,China,Pakistan
Russia Confronts Pakistan, China Over 'Illegally' Copied AK Assault Rifles
16 November 2009
United Press International
HONG KONG, China — At a press conference held during an international exhibition of defense equipment in Turkey last summer, a Russian military delegation harshly criticized the Pakistan Ordnance Factories Company for copying Russian weapons systems.
The Russians claimed that the POF's RPG-7P anti-tank rockets, 122-mm D-30 howitzer ammunition and PK-10 assault guns were 100-percent imitations of Russian systems. The PK-10 assault gun is a Pakistani version of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: United Press International
31477
Pakistan
Dutch, American Diplomats Caught Carrying Guns Illegal in Pakistan
9 October 2009
News International (Karachi)
ISLAMABAD — The government has categorically said that no foreign diplomat, whether American, Dutch or from any other country, is permitted to carry weapons within the territorial limits of Pakistan. However, recent incidents show the US diplomats in particular have been violating the law of the land frequently.
Although, in case of two Dutch diplomats who were caught red-handed on Tuesday while carrying weapons, including hand-grenades, a formal complaint has been... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: News International (Karachi)
31248
Pakistan
Gang Charged with Gun Trafficking, Forging Firearm Licences in Karachi
8 October 2009
Daily Times (Lahore)
KARACHI — The Crime Investigation Department (CID) on Wednesday arrested six persons including the group's leader who was also an activist of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi (MQM-H).
The arrest of former worker of the MQM-H Jibran Ali Butt and his five accomplices named Mohammad Hamid, Laiq Ahmed, Sarfaraz Ali, Abdul Ghaffar and Usman was made during a raid conducted at Sir Shah Suleman Road near Civic Centre.
He said he made a CID team led by DSP Israr Awan who... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Times (Lahore)
31188
Pakistan
84 Prohibited Assault Weapons Imported for US Embassy in Pakistan
18 September 2009
Dawn (Karachi)
ISLAMABAD — A private Pakistani security agency being operated by a retired army captain, and providing security and protection to American embassy officials in the country, has imported over 80 sophisticated automatic prohibited bore weapons, following special permission granted by the prime minister.
The retired captain, who was picked up by a Pakistani intelligence agency a day earlier but soon released on the production of valid documents, acquired these licences... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Dawn (Karachi)
31016
Pakistan,United States,Afghanistan
Flood of Stolen US Assault Rifles, Handguns Arms Taliban in Pakistan
9 September 2009
Islam Online (Qatar)
PESHAWAR — Sophisticated US-made arms, either snatched from foreign troops in neighboring Afghanistan, or sold out by cash-strapped Afghan soldiers, have flooded the arms markets in Pakistan's northern tribal belt and are in high demand too.
"We have various kinds of US-made arms, which we procure from Afghan arms smugglers," an arms dealer from the town of Darra Adamkhel in Pakistan's western frontier province (NWFP) told IslamOnline.net.
Darra Adamkhel, virtually... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Islam Online (Qatar)
30907
Pakistan
Gun Dealers Sell Prohibited Firearms to Stay in Business in Pakistan
1 August 2009
International News (Karachi)
RAWALPINDI — Most arms dealers in the city are selling prohibited bore weapons in violation of the Pakistan Arms Ordinance 1965.
They justify the sale of such weapons by saying that the ban on licences of arms and lack of interest on part of customers have badly affected their business. According to them, the majority of people associated with the arms business have changed their trade. "Now there are only a few arms shops left in Saddar, Raja Bazaar and Banni," they... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: International News (Karachi)
30666
Pakistan
Insecurity Generates High Demand for Guns in Pakistan's Arms Bazaar
26 July 2009
Islam Online (Qatar)
PESHAWAR — Darra Adamkhel, a small, dusty town that consists of one main street with some alleys all lined with shops and workshops, is one of the most famous and unique bazaars in Pakistan and its restive tribal belt.
It is the place where anyone can buy weapons made by the local population who are able to manufacture exact replicas of any kind of gun in the world.
"We can copy any kind of arms, even a rocket launcher," Gulrez Khan, an arms dealer in the town, told... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Islam Online (Qatar)
30630
Pakistan
Pakistan Gun Violence Cause of Soaring Prices for AK-47s, Ammunition
22 July 2009
Agence France Presse
PESHAWAR, Pakistan — The price of a Kalashnikov assault rifle is soaring as militant groups and private militias mushroom in an increasingly battle-torn northwest Pakistan, arms dealers and buyers say.
Civilians too, frightened by the upsurge in violence and citing a lack of government protection, are also forking out to arm themselves with a weapon that has come to symbolise violent struggle the world over.
Easy to use, hard to jam and the preferred killing machine... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Agence France Presse
30608
Pakistan
Smugglers, Gun Runners Claim Dire Economic Times in Pakistan
15 July 2009
Tribune (Chandigarh) / LA Times-Washington Post
Not that they really have the right to complain, but these are also dire economic times for smugglers and gun runners. Show up any afternoon at the Sitara Market on the western outskirts of the violent city of Peshawar and you can ask them yourself. This is a rogue's bazaar, within 35 miles of the Afghanistan border.
The locals call it the "American market," and for good reason: A baffling array of battlefield detritus, from U.S. military camouflage kneepads to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Tribune (Chandigarh) / LA Times-Washington Post
30536
Pakistan
Pakistan Gives Guns to Anti-Taliban Vigilantes, Just As it Did the Taliban
5 July 2009
BBC News
MIANWALI — Mianwali in Pakistan's western Punjab lies in the shadow of rugged mountains. On the other side of the range lies the North West Frontier Province where the army is engaged in a bloody offensive against the Taliban.
In the past few months, that militancy has crept into Mianwali — with shootings and bomb attacks and the arrest of several suspected militants, including a would-be suicide bomber.
The local police force is struggling to face the new... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
30470
Nepal,India,Pakistan,Bangladesh,South Asia,South East Asia
UN Seminar Tackles Gun Smuggling, Trafficking in South, Central Asia
17 June 2009
Indopia / PTI
KATHMANDU — Delegates from 13 countries, including India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, today participated in a UN-brokered regional seminar in the Nepalese capital to combat arms smuggling in South and Central Asia.
The two-day seminar, first in a series of three sub-regional meets on 'Illicit Brokering of Small Arms and Light Weapons' in Asia and the Pacific, began today with an aim to enhance cooperation among the states in the region to address the issue of arms... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Indopia / PTI
30321
Pakistan
Licensed Gun Dealers Suspected of Weapon Trafficking in Pakistan
10 June 2009
Daily Times (Lahore)
LAHORE — The Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) has expressed concern over the failure of law-enforcement agencies, especially police, to effectively check the smuggling of arms, according to a report by BBC Urdu.
The report quoted sources in the Interior Ministry as saying that several arms dealers were also smugglers and had links with smugglers in the Tribal Areas.
"Some arrested dealers have revealed … that they have links with smugglers who sell them arms... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Times (Lahore)
30271
Pakistan
Despite Official Denials, Gun Running, Trafficking Unchecked in Pakistan
3 June 2009
News International (Karachi)
ISLAMABAD — A new and a possibly serious security crisis is in the making in the vicinity of the sprawling temporary dwellings of the IDPs in District Mardan where sophisticated weaponry is being bought and smuggled in from the AJK area through agents and carriers in Sakhakot and Shergarh located on the Swat-Mardan Highway.
The local police authorities have expressed complete ignorance about any such stockpiling of arms and ammunition. Syed Akhtar Ali Shah, DIG... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: News International (Karachi)
30245
Pakistan,Afghanistan,United States
Guns Supplied by US, Smuggled to Pakistan More Deadly Than Nukes
31 May 2009
News International (Karachi), Editorial
The deconstruction of a briefing given by Major General Athar Abbas and its subsequent reporting in the media bears close study. The briefing was interesting in that for the first time it made reference to four tunnels constructed by the Taliban in Peochar, and the contents thereof. The Taliban have been busy looting not just the UN convoys but goods intended for the relief of IDPs as well. They had also collected pre-packed military rations (which are unlikely to be... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: News International (Karachi)
30230
Pakistan
How Pakistan's Notorious Illegal Gun Industry Runs Arms to Karachi
13 May 2009
News (Karachi)
KARACHI — Pakistani society is plagued by the phenomenon of easy access to arms, and this is one of the reasons why society has become victim to terrorism and conflict. It has been learnt that there are places in the country where different groups are assembling arms imported from various countries. These groups also have the expertise to manufacture the deadly weapons by themselves.
Investigations pointed towards Dara Adam Khel and disputed areas of Pakistan as the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: News (Karachi)
30036
Pakistan
Pakistan PM Leads Meeting to 'Remove All Illegal Arms from Karachi'
4 May 2009
News (Karachi), Editorial
The high level meeting held in Karachi to discuss the latest outbreak of violence there raised some highly relevant points. As the prime minister noted while presiding over the meeting, a key priority must be to call a tripartite meeting of the PPP, the MQM and the ANP to discuss the measures that need to be taken. But perhaps the key point to emerge from the meeting was the call to remove all illegal arms from Karachi. This is indeed a vital need.
The enormous number... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: News (Karachi)
30102
Russia,Pakistan
Russia Warns Pakistan Not to Make, Sell 'Counterfeit' Assault Rifle
29 April 2009
MosNews (Moscow) / Ria Novosti, Web page
Russia's delegation to the IDEF-2009 international defense industry fair being held in Turkey has complained that counterfeit weapons are being displayed, RIA Novosti reports on Tuesday. According the chief delegate, Anatoly Aksenov, Russia plans to exert pressure on all countries, displaying unlicensed copies of Russian weaponry.
The delegation alleges that counterfeit RPG-7 grenade launchers, 30 mm artillery shells and the world famous Kalashnikov submachine guns... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: MosNews (Moscow) / Ria Novosti
29966
Pakistan
Pakistan Lands Gun Show Export Orders for 5,000 Hunting Guns, Pistols
13 April 2009
Peninsula (Qatar) / InterNews
PESHAWAR — After successfully displaying arms during an international exhibition, the Pakistan Hunting and Sporting Arms Development Company has secured major export orders worth over Rs50m.
Company Nauman Wazir said yesterday they had received orders from 11 international companies for around 5,000 guns and pistols. The development came after the company displayed arms at international exhibition IWA held in Germany in March. "We had made arrangements for display... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Peninsula (Qatar) / InterNews
29795
Pakistan
Police Fired 423 Bullets in Pakistan Cricketer Ambush: Every Shot Missed
18 March 2009
Daily Times (Lahore)
LAHORE — Gulberg Police have claimed firing 423 bullets in the Liberty shootout but at the same time admitted that none of the assailants were hit.
The Gulberg incident left six people dead and 16 others, including five Sri Lankan players, injured.
The police have claimed in its reports, copies of which are available with Daily Times, that 17 policemen through 21 weapons fired 423 bullets at the assailants, who fled unharmed.
In the first information report (FIR),... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Times (Lahore)
29573
Pakistan
Arms Trade in Karachi Traced to Craft Gun Industry in Dara Adam Khel
13 March 2009
International News (Karachi)
KARACHI — Pakistani society is plagued by the phenomenon of easy access to arms, and this is one of the reasons why society has become victim to terrorism and conflict. It has been learnt that there are places in the country where different groups are assembling arms imported from various countries. These groups also have the expertise to manufacture the deadly weapons by themselves.
Investigations pointed towards Dara Adam Khel and disputed areas of Pakistan as the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: International News (Karachi)
29521
Pakistan
Pakistan Tries to Sell Locally Made Craft Guns at German Trade Show
12 March 2009
News (Karachi)
PESHAWAR — Pakistan Hunting and Sporting Arms Development Company (PHSADC) has finalised all arrangements for the display of locally manufactured small arms at an international exhibition (IWA) in Germany from March 13 to 16.
According to a press release issued here on Wednesday, Chairman PHSADC Nauman Wazir said they had planned to avail the opportunity of exhibiting locally manufactured hunting and sporting arms at the exhibition.
He said the PHSADC has collected... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: News (Karachi)
29505
Pakistan,United Nations
Campaign Groups Urge Pakistan to Endorse Global Gun Trade Treaty
7 March 2009
Business Recorder (Pakistan)
ISLAMABAD — A day long, National Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) Consultation on an Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) organised by Community Appraisal & Motivation Programme (Camp) here on Friday urged the government to endorse Arms Trade Treaty.
The objectives of the event were to build civil society interest in national and international arms export control issues, strengthen the capacity of civil society organisations at provincial and national levels to constructively... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Business Recorder (Pakistan)
29447
Pakistan,Iraq,Afghanistan
Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan Arming Village Vigilantes with Flood of Guns
4 March 2009
Christian Science Monitor
PESHAWAR, Pakistan — In the town of Budaber, six miles from Peshawar's city center, Daud Khan makes sure his Kalashnikov is loaded before stepping into the dark street. As he walks out, seven young men join him, all armed.
Mr. Khan is a member of the nighttime civilian patrols that guard the streets and escort residents home. They usually work from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m., the peak time for bomb attacks, a local says.
Do-it-yourself security teams are becoming a fixture in... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Christian Science Monitor
29370
Pakistan
Pakistani Frontier Province Hands Out 30,000 Free, Confiscated Guns
3 March 2009
Agence France Presse
The Government of Pakistan's North West Frontier Province will provide 30,000 rifles confiscated from terrorists and 'anti-social elements' to the residents of rural areas in a bid to counter Taliban militants, a statement said.
The troubled province is rife with Taliban and Al Qaeda extremists who have been regularly carrying out attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Under the 'Village Defence Rifle' program, Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti has ordered the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Agence France Presse
29367
Pakistan,Afghanistan
Pakistan Fuels Afghan Border Conflict, Gives 30,000 More Guns to Civilians
23 February 2009
Associated Press
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Authorities in a Pakistani border province plan to arm villagers with 30,000 rifles and set up an elite police unit to protect a region increasingly besieged by Taliban and al Qaeda militants, an official said Sunday.
Stiffer action in the North West Frontier Province could help offset American concern that a peace deal being negotiated in the Swat valley, a Taliban stronghold in the province, could create a haven for Islamist insurgents only... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press
29297
Pakistan
Illegal but Tolerated Gun Market Thrives Around Pakistan's Swat Valley
17 February 2009
NDTV News (India)
SWAT — The latest deal struck by the Pakistan government with local hard line Islamist leaders in Swat on Tuesday may bring a temporary truce to the area but with a combination of a thriving arms market and lawless society, peace may just be a pause in the long history of violence in north western Pakistan.
The strategic Khyber Pass, gateway to Afghanistan from Pakistan's tribal areas, has been used for centuries by armies and tribal warlords to operate across two... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: NDTV News (India)
29231
Pakistan
Pakistan's Gun Industry Aims to Legitimise, Export Home Made Guns
12 February 2009
News (Karachi)
PESHAWAR — Pakistan Hunting and Sporting Development Company (PHSADC) has planned a number of activities to harness the national potential in the field of hunting and sporting arms by improving the skill of artisans associated with the profession.
The company has planned holding consultations with stakeholders in different cities of the country with the objective of taking them on board and apprising them about the modern technique for improving the standard of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: News (Karachi)
29187
Pakistan,United Nations
Civil Society Groups Urge Pakistan to Support Global Gun Trade Treaty
10 February 2009
Daily Times (Lahore)
KARACHI — Various members of civil society organisations have decided to initiate an advocacy and lobbying campaign to urge the government to become a part of the Global Arms Trade Treaty and ratify the United Nations CRC Optional Protocol-II, which deals with the involvement of children in conflicts.
According to a press statement issued after the concluding session of the two-day provincial civil society consultation on the Arms Trade Treaty, organised by a local... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Times (Lahore)
29169
Pakistan,United Nations
Civil Society Groups Urge Pakistan to Support Global Gun Trade Treaty
7 February 2009
International News (Karachi)
KARACHI — Civil society organisations have urged the Pakistan government to be part of Global Arms Trade Treaty and to ratify the Optional Protocol-II UN Convention regarding the involvement of children into armed conflict.
This was stated in the concluding session of a two-day provincial civil society consultation on Arms Trade Treaty, organised by the Society of the Rights of the Child (SPARC) in collaboration with a Peshawar-based NGO, Community Appraisal and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: International News (Karachi)
29148
Pakistan
Taxi Driver, Gun Trafficker Describes Trade Following Arrest in Karachi
30 January 2009
News (Karachi)
KARACHI — The presence of illegal weapons in the city is rising at an alarming proportion, as every day one comes across unfortunate incidents of ethnic violence and other such criminal offences. In this regard, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Sindh recently traced the whereabouts of the arms smugglers in a bid to get rid of this menace from the city once and for all.
According to admissions made by the smugglers in custody, there are about 13 such... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: News (Karachi)
29111
Pakistan,United Nations
Curb Demand for Weapons in Pakistan: Global Gun Trade Treaty Urged
29 January 2009
News (Karachi)
PESHAWAR — Speakers at a daylong seminar here Wednesday urged the government to come out with a well-contrived policy to put a leash on proliferation of small arms, which was fuelling violence and terrorism in the society.
"The unhindered spread of small arms is furthering the culture of violence, honour killings and human rights violations in our society," they observed during a seminar on 'Arms Trade Treaty' held here under the aegis of Community Appraisal and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: News (Karachi)
29091
Pakistan
For Middle-Class Pakistanis, an AK-47 or a Handgun Is a Must-Have Item
6 January 2009
Wall Street Journal
LAHORE, Pakistan — After escaping kidnappers who chained him to a bed for 25 days, Mohammad Javed Afridi pressed Pakistani law enforcement for swift justice. The police offered him something else: temporary permits for four automatic assault rifles.
Since Mr. Afridi's ordeal ended in mid-October, police in his hometown of Peshawar, in northwestern Pakistan, haven't made an arrest in his case. They raided the kidnappers' hide-out, but the captors got away, a senior... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Wall Street Journal
28958
Pakistan
Officers Stole Police Guns, Substituted Home Made Guns in Islamabad
5 January 2009
Khabrain (Pakistan)
ISLAMABAD — The high-level police officials of the capital have shown ordinary and locally manufactured smaller weapons and cartridges from the local tribal arms dealers in place of the highly sophisticated and sensitive weapons that had been recovered from the Red Mosque during Operation Silence and subsequently stolen from the Aabpara police station.
The police could not recover the stolen weapons. The capital police have put the blame on a police constable to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Khabrain (Pakistan)
28971
Pakistan,Iraq,China
Tens of Thousands More AK-47s Given to Tribal Fighters in Pakistan, Iraq
24 October 2008
Australian (Sydney)
Anti-Taliban tribal fighters in Pakistan's border region will be given tens of thousands of AK-47 assault rifles bought from China in a bid to replicate the success of the "Sunni Awakening" movement in Iraq.
The deal to buy the weapons and other small arms was negotiated by Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari when he was in Beijing this month, reports said yesterday.
The Washington Post said the weapons would go to the so-called tribal lashkars (armies) that are... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Australian (Sydney)
28490
Pakistan
Pakistan Plans to Give AK-47s to Tens of Thousands of Tribal Fighters
23 October 2008
Washington Post
Pakistan plans to arm tens of thousands of anti-Taliban tribal fighters in its western border region in hopes — shared by the U.S. military — that the nascent militias can replicate the tribal "Awakening" movement that proved decisive in the battle against al-Qaeda in Iraq.
The militias, called lashkars, will receive Chinese-made AK-47 assault rifles and other small arms, a purchase arranged during a visit to Beijing this month by Pakistani President Asif Ali... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Washington Post
28750
Pakistan
Wedding Ceremony Stray Bullet Kills Pakistani 2yr-old in Mother's Lap
19 October 2008
Daily Times (Lahore)
RAWALPINDI — Despite Regional Police Officer (RPO) Nasir Khan Durrani's strict action against inefficient police officers, there is no letup in crime as 12 people including three women were killed in separate incidents during last week.
An increase in fatal road accidents was also observed during last week as six people including two women and a minor were killed in the limits of Taxila, Chontra, RA Bazaar and Civil Lines police stations.
In a road accident in the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Times (Lahore)
28439
Afghanistan,Iran,Pakistan,Russia
Wide Range of Guns, Weapons Readily Accessible to Taleban Fighters
18 September 2008
BBC News
AFGHANISTAN — "We sometimes seize arms and ammunition," said a Taleban commander in south-eastern Afghanistan. "We're using whatever weapons are left over from Russian times and we buy from different sources — Pakistan, Iran, Russia — wherever we can get them."
I met the Taleban commander, a veteran of 30 years of war, in a safe house — one of the typical mud-built, fortress-like houses of the south-east where a six-metre (six-yard) high wall protects an... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
28271
Pakistan
Stray Bullets, Celebratory Shootings, Political Gun Killing in Pakistan
27 July 2008
Daily Times (Lahore)
KARACHI — An elderly man was shot dead over his political affiliations on Saturday, while two others were killed in separate incidents.
According to details, 60-year-old Ashfaq, a resident of Bhittai Colony, Korangi Crossing, was shot six times at Juna Market, within the jurisdiction of Risala Police Station. According to Enquiry officer Nawaz, two men on a motorcycle shot Ashfaq using 30-Boor pistols. The deceased used to run a hotel near his residence and was a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Times (Lahore)
27820
Pakistan
Buyback Saw 20,000 Guns Destroyed in Pakistan, Shootings Due to Politics
17 July 2008
Daily Mail (Islamabad)
UNITED NATIONS — Reaffirming its determination to prevent, combat and eradicate the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons, Pakistan on Wednesday called for addressing the root causes of conflicts to eliminate a major source of demand for such weapons.
"Focus on conflict prevention and dispute resolution is thus a sine qua non for the attainment of the common goals of strengthening peace and security in conditions of economic and social progress," Brig. (Ret.)... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Mail (Islamabad)
27718
Pakistan
Gun Control: Pakistan Has 20 Million Firearms
16 July 2008
Post (Lahore), Opinion
LAHORE — Pakistan, according to anti-arms campaigners, has one of the greatest per capita rates of gun ownership in the world. Though there are no official figures, rough estimates put the total number of small arms at large in the country at more than 20 million, with about half of them illegal. NWFP alone is believed to have nearly half a million illegal small arms and light weapons.
How many more wake up calls do we need until law makers realise that some new,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Post (Lahore)
27705
Pakistan
Wedding Party Celebratory Shooting Kills Another Passerby in Karachi
13 July 2008
News (Karachi)
KARACHI — Two people were killed by stray bullets in separate incidents reported on Saturday in the Gizri and Baghdadi police limits.
On Friday night, 35-year-old Mohammed Ashraf was passing through a lane near his house. A wedding ceremony was underway in the lane in the Gizri police limits. A stray bullet shot in the air hit Ashraf, and proved fatal. The police said that the deceased had been working as a cook for the past 15 years in Babar House (situated at... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: News (Karachi)
27661
Pakistan,Afghanistan
Pakistani Gun Control Groups Target US, Afghanistan for Weapon Flood
10 June 2008
News (Karachi)
PESHAWAR — Highlighting case of Pakistan Raza Shah Khan, executive director of Sustainable Peace and Development Organisation (Spado) claimed that the problem of arms proliferation in the region was the result of Afghanistan war wherein the US provided about $2 billion in arms aid.
"We had the greatest number of guns per capita in the world," he told a seminar, jointly organised by Spado, Community Appraisal and Motivation Programme (Camp) and International Action... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: News (Karachi)
27296
Pakistan
Pakistani Civil Society Groups Promote Global Gun Control Campaign
10 June 2008
Post (Pakistan)
PESHAWAR — Concerned at the increasing number of fatalities by small arms, speakers at a workshop stressed the need to raise awareness about the threat to life posed by small arms and asked the government to regulate the inflow and use of firearms in Pakistan.
There are about 20 million small arms in Pakistan, making it the country with the highest per capita guns in the world, the speakers observed. They said that an estimated 75 million firearms are stocked in... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Post (Pakistan)
27295
Pakistan
Pakistan Launches Campaign to Prevent Civilians Carrying Guns
2 May 2008
News (Karachi)
ISLAMABAD — The Ministry of Interior Wednesday directed all provincial governments to launch an immediate focused campaign against display, brandishing and carriage of small weapons, says a press release.
The ministry underscored the fact that vast majority of the killings and casualties are directly attributable to the use of small arms, which are easy to carry and conceal therefore the provincial governments have been directed to instruct law enforcement agencies... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: News (Karachi)
27014
United Nations,United States,France,Canada,Germany,Angola,Thailand,Australia,Colombia,South Africa,Turkey,Pakistan,Russia,Brazil,United Kingdom,India,China
Guns Around the World: Civilian Firearms per 100 People in 16 Nations
30 April 2008
Economist
An estimated 875m small arms are in circulation worldwide: one for every seven people on the planet. Nearly three-quarters of these are owned by civilians. And about 80% of those guns in civilian hands are found in just 30 countries, according to the Small Arms Survey, a research group.
Although America accounts for 40% of firearms in civilian ownership, people put them to more deadly use elsewhere. The gun murder rate in Colombia and South Africa, for example, is... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Economist
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Pakistan
Punjab Issues Free Firearm Licences, Glock Handguns to Top Civil Servants
4 April 2008
Daily Times (Lahore)
LAHORE — The Punjab Home Department has issued Non-Prohibited Bore (NPB) gratis licences (free of cost weapon licences) to 60 top bureaucrats from the administrative hierarchy of the province for their self-protection.
The Punjab government will import Glock-17s, an Austrian-made handgun that costs between Rs 60,000 and Rs 70,000, to be given to the 60 officers.
Of the 60, 15 are administrative and special secretaries at various departments, and the remainder hold... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Times (Lahore)
26811
Pakistan
Boy's 'Obnoxious' Text Messages Led to Gunshot Injury at Pakistani School
29 February 2008
Daily Times (Lahore)
ISLAMABAD — A student on Thursday was accidentally shot and injured in a scuffle between two other students in front of Federal Government Model School for Boys, I-8/4.
Industrial Area police said that 16-year-old Abdul Rehman, a grade nine student of the said school, was injured when 17-year-old Ansar Muhammad, a student of private technical institute located in Sector H-8, allegedly opened fire on Usman — the victim's schoolfellow.
Police, while quoting Rehman,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Times (Lahore)
26247
Pakistan
Pakistan's Elections Spur 1500% Increase in Karachi Gun Sales - Dealers
17 February 2008
News (Karachi)
KARACHI — Amidst the prevailing socio-political uncertainty that has characterized the period leading up to the general elections 2008, the regulated sale of weapons has registered an increase of almost 1,500 per cent.
Citizens themselves are feeling insecure with regards to the potential — both perceived and actual — for trouble during the run up to the elections, in particular polling day itself and the fallout of the election results.
As a consequence of this... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: News (Karachi)
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