Gun Policy News
Gun violence, gun control and small arms
Jamaica,Venezuela,Haiti,Honduras,Trinidad & Tobago,Mexico,Belize,Colombia,El Salvador,Brazil,Puerto Rico,Guatemala,Pakistan,Panama,Costa Rica,Nicaragua,Uruguay,Dominican Republic,Peru,Ecuador,Paraguay,Argentina,Chile,Bolivia
InSight Crime's 2020 Homicide Round-Up
29 January 2021
InSight Crime
While unrest gripped much of Latin America in 2019, it was the coronavirus that took center stage and ripped through the region in 2020, upending everything from commercial trade to the operations of local gangs and transnational criminal organizations.
It's too early to tell with any degree of certainty how exactly the pandemic may have impacted levels of violence, but there were notable developments, including significant reductions in El Salvador, Guatemala,... (GunPolicy.org)
Wanted Criminals Arrested, Arms Seized in Pakistan
22 October 2016
Business Recorder (Pakistan)
Police on Friday claimed that they have arrested 115 wanted criminals and recovered huge cache of arms and ammunition from their oppression during ongoing strike and search operations against anti-social elements in various areas of district Mardan.
Addressing a news conference in district Mardan, superintendent police (SP)- Operation, Shafiullah Khan Gandapoor said that on the special directives of district police officer (DPO) Fasial Shahzad, several crackdown team... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia,Afghanistan,Russia,Central Asia,Pakistan,China,Turkey,Brazil
UN Rule of Thumb Suggests 600,000 Illegal Guns in Australia
21 October 2016
Age (Melbourne)
As many as 600,000 illegal guns could be circulating in the Australian underworld, but national efforts to control the spread is being hampered by inconsistencies between states, a firearms intelligence report has found.
The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission report on guns - to be released on Friday, the same day as state and federal government representatives meet to thrash out a way to combat illegal firearms - also backs a national amnesty.
Chris Dawson,... (GunPolicy.org)
Eyes on Pakistan, India Preps Gun Makers for Production Surge
18 October 2016
Breitbart
According to the India Times, India at the moment may not be ready to fight a full-blown war with Pakistan beyond a few days due to a shortage of military supplies and near depleted war reserves.
"In particular, the defense ministry is looking at small arms and ammunition and spare parts and weapons for the Sukhoi and Mirage fighter fleets on a priority basis," notes ET.
The news outlet points out that the Indian military is vulnerable to facing critical shortages,... (GunPolicy.org)
Cache of NATO Assault Rifles, Machineguns Seized in Pakistan
5 October 2016
Dawn (Karachi)
A huge cache of Nato weapons and ammunition was recovered by police on Wednesday during a raid on an empty house in the Azizabad area of the metropolis.
Police reportedly seized a large number of weapons including anti-aircraft guns, SMGs, LMGs, sniper rifles, hand grenades and rocket launchers hidden in the water tank of the empty house.
Bulletproof jackets and helmets were also recovered during the raid by police, DawnNews reported.
The raid was conducted after the... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,China,Germany,United Kingdom,France,Russia,Spain,Italy,Israel,India,Saudi Arabia,United Arab Emirates,Pakistan,Australia,Turkey,Singapore,South Korea,South Sudan,Ukraine
Killer Facts: The Scale of the Global Arms Trade, Gun Totals
22 August 2016
Amnesty International (London)
Transfers of heavy conventional weapons
The top 10 exporters of conventional arms (excluding small arms/ light weapons – SALW) 2010-15
USA: US$55.006 billion
Russia: US$42.404 billion
China: US$9.943 billion
Germany: US$ 9.467 billion
France: US$ 8.932 billion
UK: US$ 7.627 billion
Spain: US$ 5.310 billion
Italy: US$ 4.360 billion
Ukraine: US$ 4.156 billion
Israel: US$ 3.280 billion
The top 10 importers of conventional arms (excluding SALWs) 2010-15
India:... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns Cheaper Than Smartphones in Pakistan's 'Lethal Town'
28 July 2016
India TV News
Infamous for harbouring terror organisations and promoting their 'jihadi' activities that plot and spell doom across the border, it should come as no surprise that the availability of arms and ammunition to aid banned organisations like LeT and Indian Mujahideen is no big deal.
What does come as a shock for many is that guns are not just easily available, they are available dirt cheap.
In Pakistan's tribal town of Darra Adamkhel, guns – used or refurbished... (GunPolicy.org)
Pakistan Requires Guarantors for Guns in Places of Worship
30 May 2016
Dawn (Karachi)
GUJRAT -- The district government has imposed a condition of three guarantors for seeking a firearm licence for security of a worship place.
This decision was taken after some ruling party lawmakers expressed reservations on the policy of granting such licences to worship places and apprehensions that these weapons could be used in sectarian violence.
District Officer (Coordination) Majid Bin Ahmed who heads the district government's firearm licencing branch told Dawn... (GunPolicy.org)
Officials Recover Huge Cache of Guns, Explosives in Pakistan
19 May 2014
Xinhua
ISLAMABAD - Paramilitary troops recovered huge cache of arms and ammunition in Pakistan's southwest Chaman district on Monday morning, local media reported.
Quoting unnamed sources from Paramilitary troops Frontier Corps (FC), local Urdu TV channel Samaa said that the forces seized a truck carrying explosive materials on an intelligence tip off in Chaman area, a district in the country's southwest Balochistan province.
The explosives were being brought into the... (GunPolicy.org)
Pakistan Acts Against Continuing Availability of Illegal Weapons
15 April 2014
Central Asia Online
ISLAMABAD – Gul Sher, 31, is busy cleaning his unlicenced AK-47 rifle. He is at his home in the outskirts of Mianwali, Punjab Province.
"Keeping rifles or other small weapons is part of our culture here," Gul said. "Our elders say, 'Weapons are men's jewellry'. Without them we feel alone and insecure."
Keeping unlicenced weapons is illegal, but Gul isn't alone. Many in his small town do so as well.
Illegal trade, but law goes unenforced
Keeping prohibited or... (GunPolicy.org)
Ghost Boat Smuggles Weapons into India from Pakistan
8 April 2014
Daily Mail (UK)
A large consignment of weapons has reportedly been smuggled into India from Bangladesh after being shipped from Pakistan, backing the Home Ministry's apprehensions that sea routes could be used for arms trafficking ahead of the polls.
Indian intelligence agencies tracked a boat named Padma that was docked at Kutubdia port in Bangladesh about two weeks ago.
The vessel was used to transport the consignment of weapons, which was offloaded at the port before being... (GunPolicy.org)
Personalised Guns May Prevent Unintentional Shootings, Homicides in Pakistan
25 March 2014
Dawn
The school boy from Karachi knew he wasn't supposed to, but he got hold of it anyway.
It was his father's handgun, and he was showing it to a classmate who was visiting him at home. What happened next was tragic. The gun went off accidently, shooting the visiting youngster in the head and killing him.
This was nearly twenty years ago, and gun fatalities at the hands of youngsters in Pakistan have only worsened. GunPolicy.org estimates that at least 18,000,000 guns are... (GunPolicy.org)
Pakistan,South Asia,Afghanistan,United States,Russia
Disturbing Firearms Proliferation in Pakistan
24 February 2014
Daily Times (Lahore)
The proliferation of small arms and light weapons is one of the major security challenges currently faced by South Asia and Pakistan in particular. The trafficking and varied availability of these weapons fuel communal conflict, political instability and pose a threat, not only to security, but also to viable development. According to the Red Cross, one out of every two casualties in a war is a civilian stuck in the crossfire. The easy use and light weight of small... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Maker Turns Down $15m Deal With Pakistan
5 January 2014
Associated Press / The Big Story
WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — A Utah-based gun manufacturer has turned down a $15 million deal to supply Pakistan with precision rifles, citing concerns they could eventually be used against U.S. troops.
Mike Davis, sales manager at Desert Tech, said the company was on a short list for a contract with Pakistan, but spurned the opportunity because of unrest in Pakistan and ethical concerns.
It was a difficult decision because of the amount of money involved, he said, and... (GunPolicy.org)
Netherlands,Spain,United Kingdom,Italy,United States,Belgium,Iraq,Algeria,Bahrain,Egypt,Mexico,Pakistan,Canada
Canada Increases Gun Exports to Countries with 'Dubious' Human Rights
8 December 2013
Toronto Star (Ontario) / Canadian Press
OTTAWA — Bahrain, Algeria and Iraq, countries with dubious human rights records or a history of violent internal conflict, have recently become new buyers of Canadian-made guns and ammunition, an analysis of federal data shows.
The analysis by The Canadian Press found that Canadian exports to those countries swelled by 100 per cent from 2011 to 2012, the most recent figures publicly available.
During the same time period, exports of Canadian weapons also increased... (GunPolicy.org)
Pakistan's Darra Adam Khel, the Gun Making Capital of the World
18 October 2013
Daily Bhaskar (India)
KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA, Pakistan - Darra Adam Khel is a town in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, located between Peshawar and Kohat, very close to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. It is inhabited by Pashtuns of the Afridi clan, the Adam Khel. The town consists of one main street lined with shops, with some alleys and side streets containing workshops. Darra Adam Khel is devoted entirely to the production of ordnance.
Located in between Kohat and... (GunPolicy.org)
Opinion: What Happened to Gun Control in Pakistan?
11 October 2013
Express Tribune (Pakistan), Blog
Earlier this week in Lahore, a 10-year-old boy shot his mother with a 12 bore gun. This boy wasn't waging a jihad against drone strikes or attempting to rise against the status quo. He shot his mother because the reason was simple: our gun control laws are weak.
Access to guns is easy.
In Pakistan, out of every 100 people, 11 people have guns. In a country where rule of law is supposed to be a part of the constitution, bearing guns is what has resulted in tribal... (GunPolicy.org)
Pakistan Officials Hold Amnesty Ahead of New Gun Licensing Programme
7 October 2013
Central Asia Online
KARACHI – The Sindh provincial government is pressing on with a campaign to clear Karachi of illegal weapons and ban new firearm licences, even though few owners so far have surrendered their guns or ammunition voluntarily, officials say.
The so-called "Weapon-Free Karachi" campaign started September 27 and will go through October 12. It kicked off when the Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered Sindh Province to rid Karachi of illicit arms and ammunition and to take... (GunPolicy.org)
In Two Months, One Pakistani Provincial Police Force Seized 8,557 Guns
20 July 2013
International News (Karachi)
PESHAWAR - The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police arrested 7,858 accused and seized huge quantity of ammunition and explosives during the last two months.
A communiqué issued from the Central Police Office said two miscreants were shot dead, six kidnapped persons were recovered and 10 kidnappers were apprehended during the period. The police also recovered three vehicles and three motorcycles between April 20 and July 18, the official statement said.
The police also... (GunPolicy.org)
11 People Shot at Pakistani University After Bombing
17 June 2013
BBC News
The women's university at the centre of Saturday's deadly twin attacks in the Pakistani city of Quetta has been shut down until further notice.
In the first incident a bomb on a university bus killed 14 women. Gunmen then killed 11 when they laid siege to the hospital treating the wounded.
Sardar Bahadur Khan University is the only all-female university in troubled Balochistan province.
The move is seen as a safety precaution in a city which has seen many... (GunPolicy.org)
Six Dead and 10 Injured After Day of Gun Violence in Pakistan
21 May 2013
Pakistan Today
KARACHI - At least six persons were killed and several others injured in fresh incidents of target killing in different areas of the metropolis on Monday, while the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) personnel arrested more than 10 accused, including four members of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), during targeted operations and recovered arms and explosives from their possession.
According to police, unknown assailants gunned down a man identified as 42-year-old... (GunPolicy.org)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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
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
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)
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)
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)
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)
Syria,Russia,Africa,China,India,Pakistan,European Union,Americas,Asia,Europe,Oceania,Congo (DRC),Sudan,Chad,Colombia
NGOs Set Minimum Specifications for Arms Trade Treaty [FR]
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)
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)
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)
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)
Afghanistan,Russia,Central Asia,Pakistan,China,Turkey,Brazil
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
Africa,Americas,Asia,Europe,Oceania,Somalia,United States,Russia,Egypt,Iran,Pakistan
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
Thailand,Malaysia,Indonesia,Kuwait,Qatar,Mexico,Peru,Venezuela,Colombia,Bolivia,Somalia,Nepal,Oman,Latvia,Mauritius,Guyana,Congo (DRC),Bosnia & Herzegovina,Saudi Arabia,Liberia,Kazakhstan,Singapore,Dominican Republic,Jordan,Trinidad & Tobago,United Arab Emirates,Guatemala,Honduras,Chile,Ecuador,Argentina,Zimbabwe,Zambia,Uganda,Tanzania,Senegal,Congo (ROC),Nigeria,Niger,Namibia,Morocco,Mauritania,Malawi,Côte d'Ivoire,Egypt,Burkina Faso,Brazil,Tunisia,Sri Lanka,Pakistan,Philippines,Yemen,United States,Italy,Germany,Israel,Austria,Russia,Africa,Americas,Asia,Europe,South Africa,Algeria,Angola,Botswana,Ghana,Guinea,Madagascar
Brazilian Gun Industry Seeks New Markets: Africa and Asia [PT]
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)
Mexico,Pakistan,Venezuela,United States,El Salvador,Colombia,Australia,Norway,Canada,Israel,Honduras,Jamaica
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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 order... (GunPolicy.org)
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)
Nepal,India,France,Germany,United Kingdom,United States,China,South Asia,Pakistan
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
United States,Yemen,Finland,Switzerland,United Kingdom,Japan,Pakistan,Saudi Arabia
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)
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)
France,Pakistan,United Nations,United States
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
Heavy Gunfight Closes Notorious Pakistani Arms Bazaar, Darra Adam Khel
5 February 2008
Washington Times
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — A notorious arms bazaar that provides a source of weapons for al Qaeda-backed fighters in Pakistan's northwestern areas faces closure after heavy fighting between government troops and Islamic militants late last month, reports from the area said.
The fighting erupted Jan. 25 when militants loyal to South Waziristan insurgent commander Baitullah Mehsud blocked the strategic Kohat Tunnel, 30 miles south of Peshawar, and seized four civilian... (GunPolicy.org)
Weapon Ban, Celebratory Wedding Shootings Hike Gun Prices in Pakistan
26 December 2007
Daily Times (Lahore)
LAHORE — The prices of small weapons and ammunition have increased since November, weapon dealers have told Daily Times.
Some dealers said the weapons' prices had increased because of an increase in their use at wedding ceremonies. The other dealers said an increased risk in keeping the weapons and a fear of the cancellation of selling permits had pushed up the prices after the government had imposed a ban on carrying the weapons.
The Punjab government, on the... (GunPolicy.org)
12,119 Caught with Illegal Guns, 5,773 Weapons Seized in Pakistani Election
21 December 2007
Post (Pakistan)
LAHORE — Sophisticated weapons business is on the rise due to general elections, The Post learnt on Wednesday.
Candidates belonging to different political parties, and their supporters, can be seen carrying weapons in their election campaigns, apparently, for their security, though many believe, for using traditional tactics to threaten their opponents.
Sources said seven police teams including, Operation Wing, Investigation Wing, Mujahid Squad, Tiger Squad,... (GunPolicy.org)
Illegal Pakistani Factories Produce 'Millions of Guns,' Employ 10,000 People
16 November 2007
San Francisco Chronicle
DARRA ADAMKHEL, Pakistan — Gen. Pervez Musharraf's emergency rule decree earlier this month has had little effect in Pakistan's tribal areas, where Taliban and al Qaeda groups are thriving, most analysts agree.
But nowhere is that more evident than in this dusty border town near Afghanistan, where about 100 illegal weapons factories openly furnish arms and explosives to Taliban fighters, local elders and government officials, analysts say.
"These militants are the... (GunPolicy.org)
Taliban Resurgence Pushes Up Gun Prices in Pakistan's Darra Adam Khel
2 November 2007
Daily Times (Lahore)
PESHAWAR — The sales and prices of arms in Frontier Region (FR) of Darra Adam Khel, famous for its illegal arms market, have shot up as the Taliban insurgency is gaining momentum in the tribal areas and parts of NWFP, Daily Times learnt on Thursday.
Shopkeepers in Darra bazaar told Daily Times that the prices of weapons had soared because the "mujahideen" who used to sell weapons in the past now needed them.
A shopkeeper told Daily Times on condition of anonymity... (GunPolicy.org)
Pakistani Wedding Party Drinkers Blamed for Shot Infant, Wounded Mother
30 October 2007
News (Karachi)
RAWALPINDI — A stray bullet fired by someone in a group of drunkards killed an 18-month-old boy in the lap of his mother here late on Sunday night, police said.
The gunmen started firing on people standing on rooftops of their houses when they prevented them from firing in the air, police said. Zafar Iqbal, son of Raja Gulistan, resident of Haji Chowk, told the Sadiqabad police that he runs a shop adjacent to his house. He said that the wife of his brother, Aisha... (GunPolicy.org)
Young Pakistani Girl Killed by Stray Bullet in Area Known for Street Shootouts
26 October 2007
News (Karachi)
A young girl fell victim to a stray bullet on Thursday in the locality of Lyari, which is infested with armed clashes among notorious criminal gangs.
According to Kalakot Police till 10pm no heirs of the deceased 15-year-old Shumaila d/o Muhammad Saleem had turned up at the police station to register the case against the yet unidentified criminal elements that resorted aerial or indiscriminate firing in their area of residence.
The incident of a stray bullet(s)... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns Proliferate Rapidly, 'Violence Impossible to Stop' in Outback Pakistan
20 September 2007
Reuters AlertNet / IRIN
PESHAWAR — In the small town of Bannu, some 190km south of Peshawar, the capital of Pakistan's rugged North West Frontier Province (NWFP), an unusual sound sometimes rents the air.
"The whiz and hiss of a missile being set off is both thrilling and terrifying," Mobeen Khan, a 40-year-old bus driver who regularly plies the dusty route between Peshawar and Bannu, told IRIN. "At first, we were unfamiliar with the sound. Now we are getting used to it."
Arms, including... (GunPolicy.org)
Global Week of Action: NGO Calls for Gun Violence Commission in Pakistan
13 June 2007
Frontier Post (Peshawar)
PESHAWAR — This week if the Global Week of Action against Gun Violence, and events are being held in 50 countries to draw attention to the human of small arms proliferation and misuse. Activities in Pakistan are joining their colleagues around the world in demanding policies to stem the flood of guns and make communities safer.
The government has not established a National Commission to address gun violence, which is a requirement for the implementation of the 2001... (GunPolicy.org)
Pakistan Committed to Curbs on Global Gun Running, Declares Senator
8 February 2007
Associated Press of Pakistan
MANILA, Philippines — Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Defence and Defence Production, Senator Nisar A. Memon has reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to the 2001 United Nations Programme of Action to curb illicit trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons.
He was addressing a two-day workshop on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) here in philippines, which was organized by Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA), a non-profit international network of elected... (GunPolicy.org)
Pakistan Vows to Help Curb Global Gun Trade
7 February 2007
News (Karachi)
MANILA — Senator Nisar Memon reiterated Pakistan's commitment to 2001 United Nations programme of action to curb illicit trade in small arms and light weapons.
Speaking at a workshop on "Small arms and light weapons (SALW) and proposed arms treaty" organised here by the Parliamentarians for the Globe Action, he pointed out that like many other countries located close to the areas of conflict situations, Pakistan is also faced with problem of illicit small arms and... (GunPolicy.org)
China Passes Death Sentences on Pakistan-China Gun Runners
26 October 2006
China Daily / Reuters
A court in western China has upheld death sentences against two leaders of a gun-running racket that reached into neighbouring Pakistan, state media reported on Wednesday.
Last October, Ma Zeying and Zhang Chenming were sentenced to death by Haidong District Court in China's Qinghai province for illegally buying, shipping and selling guns in China's biggest gun-running case.
It said the gang bought 914 guns and 1,556 gun parts in Pakistan and several provinces and... (GunPolicy.org)
Pakistani Policeman Killed by Colleague's Gun; Teens, Labour Leader Shot
4 October 2006
News (Karachi)
KARACHI — A policeman was killed on Tuesday. Shahnawaz, 50, a Head Constable in the police, got killed when a licensed pistol went off suddenly in the hands of Muhammad Azam, a policeman, while he was cleaning it inside the Police Headquarters, Malir, within Saudabad police jurisdiction.
Shahnawaz was a resident of Bilal Colony and was father of five kids.The area police said that it was an accident in which Azam also suffered minor injuries on his hands.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
Pakistan 'Proactively ' Pursuing UN Agenda to Curb Illicit Gun Trade
5 July 2006
Pakistan Times
ISLAMABAD — Pakistan is proactively implementing in letter and spirit the UN mandate for all countries to combat and eradicate illicit small arms and light weapons, said the country's delegate to a UN conference in New York.
Director General Ministry of Interior Brig. (Retd) Javed Iqbal Cheema addressed the UN conference held last week to review progress made in the implementation of world body's Programme of Action to prevent, combat and eradicate the illicit arms... (GunPolicy.org)
'Small Arms Are the Real WMDs' - 20 Million Guns Loose in Pakistan
5 May 2006
Daily Times (Lahore)
PESHAWAR — Speakers at a seminar said small arms were weapons of mass destruction and claimed 200,000 lives each year in 'peaceful nations' in addition to tens of thousands killed in wars and other armed conflicts the world over. They said that over two million children were killed since 1990 by small weapons.
The Sustainable Peace and Development Organisation (SPADO) and the British High Commission in Pakistan organised the seminar at a local hotel on... (GunPolicy.org)
Pakistan Issues 12,489 Gun Licences in 15 Months
13 April 2006
Daily Times (Lahore)
ISLAMABAD — Interior Minster Aftab Khan Sherpao told the National Assembly (NA) on Wednesday that his ministry had issued 12,106 licences for non-prohibited guns and 383 for prohibited guns from January 1, 2005 to March 9, 2006.
Sherpao provided this information to the NA in a written response to a question raised by Ramesh Lal. "Employees of Sindh and North West Frontier Province (NWFP) governments are exempted from paying annual renewal fee for one licence. The... (GunPolicy.org)
New Status Symbol for Pakistani Politicians: Their Own G3 Assault Rifles
4 April 2006
Daily Times (Lahore)
LAHORE — Punjab Assembly Speaker Muhammad Afzal Sahi has been given an extraordinary authorisation to buy a sophisticated assault rifle from the Pakistan Ordnance Factory (POF) in Wah that has hitherto been in the exclusive use of Pakistani soldiers.
The G3 assault rifle, with its long range and high accuracy, is rapidly gaining popularity among politicians and appears to be on its way to becoming a status symbol among Pakistani politicians like the Russian-made... (GunPolicy.org)
Machine Guns, Assault Rifles, Ammo Missing from Pakistani Police Arsenal
28 February 2006
Dawn (Karachi)
LARKANA — A large quantity of arms, including a rocket-launcher, and ammunition are missing from the arsenal of the Qambar police station. SHO Sardar Khan Chandio, who noticed the shortfall during an inspection of the arsenal, informed the District Police Officer, Qambar-Shahdadkot, Ahmed Yar Chauhan, who conducted an inquiry. The DPO told Dawn that the matter had been reported to the Regional Police Officer (RPO), Sukkur and the DIG Police (Operation), Larkana... (GunPolicy.org)
United Nations,United States,Iran,Israel,Egypt,China,Syria,India,Pakistan,Trinidad & Tobago
Traditional Foes Hold Up United Nations Progress on Small Arms
22 January 2006
Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday
NEW YORK — After two weeks of talking, governments have achieved virtually no outcome from a UN conference on controlling the proliferation and misuse of small arms. During this time, approximately 12,000 more people have died at gunpoint and many more have been injured, bereaved or denied access to livelihoods, healthcare and education because of armed violence.
Usually at loggerheads on disarmament issues, the USA and Iran, Israel and Egypt are on the same side of... (GunPolicy.org)
The Growing Gun Menace: 'Indian AK-47s' Smuggled to Punjab
26 September 2005
Dawn (Karachi), Editorial
The seizure of a large number of AK-47 assault rifles, bullets and magazines by customs authorities in Kohat district draws attention to the perils of unchecked arms proliferation in the country.
While the fact that the weapons, bound for Punjab from the notorious gun-making centre of Darra Adamkhel, were Indian-made adds a troubling new dimension to the problem, the blame for the production and sale of illegal weapons inside the country rests with the government.... (GunPolicy.org)
Kashmiri Women Take Up Arms for Self-Protection
23 September 2005
Middle East Times (Cyprus)
MARAH, Jammu and Kashmir — Women in Jammu and Kashmir have now picked up guns against Islamic militants to protect their homes.
At least 30 Muslim women in the disputed region to the north of India and Pakistan have constituted a separate all-women Village Defense Committee (VDC) and are operating with the Indian army in the forested mountains of Surankote in the Poonch district bordering the Pakistani side of Kashmir to fight militants.
"Now militants do not dare... (GunPolicy.org)
Pakistan-to-China Gun Trade: 46 Trafficking Suspects Arrested in 3 Months
25 August 2005
China Daily
Seventeen people were charged with smuggling arms from Pakistan into Xinjiang and Qinghai as the court in Northwest China's Qinghai Province heard on Tuesday.
The case involved more than 900 guns and over 1,500 gun accessories, making it one of the largest arms smuggling cases the country has seen, Xinhua News Agency reported.
The alleged ringleader Ma Zeying, and Li Zhi purchased guns and accessories in Pakistan between 1995 to 2004 and sold them in Kashgar of the... (GunPolicy.org)
China Charges 17 With Running Guns from Pakistan
25 August 2005
Reuters
BEIJING — Seventeen Chinese have been charged with running guns from Pakistan in one of the largest arms-smuggling cases in China's history, state media said on Thursday.
The defendants, who went on trial on Tuesday in the remote western province of Qinghai, neighboring Tibet, are accused of buying more than 900 guns and 1,500 gun accessories in Pakistan, the China Daily said.
They were sold in Kashgar, in China's restive far-western region of Xinjiang, and in... (GunPolicy.org)
Arms, Ammunition Shipment Seized in Pakistan
5 August 2005
News (Karachi)
QUETTA — The Pakistan Coast Guards seized a huge quantity of arms and ammunition in a raid conducted in Gwadar, some 832-km off here, officials said on Thursday.
The arms and ammunition are believed to be smuggled in the Gwadar city for committing terrorism, officials said.
According to the sources, the Coast Guards, after receiving some information regarding the smuggling of arms and ammunition made a comprehensive planning to seize the weapons and arrest the... (GunPolicy.org)
Pakistan,United States,United Nations
Small Arms Proliferation: Weapons the Backbone of Economic Growth
31 July 2005
Daily Times (Lahore), Opinion
The largest exporter of small arms in the world is the USA. The economic depression of the 1930s ended due to an unprecedented expansion of the production of weapons. Though few economists will acknowledge this publicly, there is a realisation that weapons, and therefore, wars, are the backbone of economic growth
Whenever the word "proliferation" is used it is assumed that one is referring to proliferation of nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction. Few... (GunPolicy.org)
Dispute Over Desilting: 5 of a Family Shot Dead
22 June 2005
Dawn (Karachi)
LARKANA — Five of a family, two of them brothers, were shot dead and four others injured in Hakim Sultan Magsi village near Mirokhan town on Tuesday. The alleged killer, Mehrab Magsi, had objected over desilting of a watercourse which irrigated lands of the villagers.
He along with sons — Nadir Magsi, Shabir and Abbas Magsi — opened fire on them killing Nazal Magsi, Ghulam Hussain, Imdad Hussain and Zulfikar Magsi on the spot.
After hearing gun shots, relatives... (GunPolicy.org)
Pakistan President's Gunslingers Muzzled in Kiwiland
18 June 2005
Hindustan Times (Delhi)
LAHORE — Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf's visit to New Zealand had a rocky start when the Auckland police seized a pistol from one of Musharraf's bodyguards.
Pakistani officials got involved into a lengthy discussion with the police and it was only after the intervention of the Diplomatic Squad Chief Inspector Bruce Blayney that the issue was sorted out, and five guns were handed over to the New Zealand authorities.
Blayney said that New Zealand had a... (GunPolicy.org)
Ten Million Illegal Weapons in Civilian Hands
9 June 2005
Daily Times (Lahore)
PESHAWAR — Civil society organisations working towards a world free of firearms urged the government on Wednesday to fulfil its commitment to implement the United Nations' Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons.
In connection with the global week of Action Against Guns (June 6 to 12), officials of the Sustainable Peace and Development Organisation (SPADO) and Community Appraisal and Motivation Programme said that four years ago while adopting the UN... (GunPolicy.org)
Steps to Check Arms' Spread Stressed
9 June 2005
Dawn (Karachi)
PESHAWAR — Expressing concern over proliferation of small arms, two NGOs have urged the government to fulfil its commitment with the United Nations about the implementation of its Programme of Action on small arms.
Speaking at a joint press conference in connection with the Global Week of Action Against Guns (June 6-12) here on Wednesday, Executive Director of the Sustainable Peace and Development Organization (SPADO) Raza Shah Khan and Community Appraisal and... (GunPolicy.org)
Karachi Eases Civilian Gun Imports
2 June 2005
News (Karachi)
KARACHI — The government has eased commercial import of foreign made self-defence weapons, sporting guns and handguns, highly placed sources in the Customs House, Karachi, said on Wednesday.
The sources said that commercial import of 12, 14, 16 bore shot guns including pump action and semi-automatic, revolvers, pistols of all bores, and .22 calibre rifle non-automatic has been allowed.
Sources elaborated that the import would be allowed to licensed arms dealers of... (GunPolicy.org)
Tribal Gunsmiths Seek Free Trade for Firearms
23 May 2005
Dawn (Karachi)
PESHAWAR — Weapons manufacturers of Darra Adamkhel have sought permission for legal transportation of licensed arms from 3,000 units in the tribal area, sources say. The units, about 35km south of here, produce small and sophisticated weapons, including replicas of renowned models, old vintage weapons, antique and quality guns. These weapons may also attract foreign buyers, specially for sport guns and copies of vintage weapons.
"Despite the great potential the arms... (GunPolicy.org)
12 March 2005
Weekend Standard (Hong Kong) / AP
Sitting in his father's shabby one-room firearms shop in Pakistan's wild northwestern tribal region, 16-year-old Dilnawaz Khan puts the final touches on a small but deadly pistol shaped like a simple fountain pen.
Dilnawaz is one of 12,000 workers in Pakistan's largest weapons bazaar — a mostly unregulated crush of small shops on the dusty streets of Darra Adamkhel, a lawless village where customers can find anything from an assault rifle to an anti-aircraft gun,... (GunPolicy.org)
Pakistan Offers to Pay Tribesmen to Disarm
4 March 2005
Reuters
WANA — Pakistan's government wants to buy heavy weapons from tribesmen in a volatile region near the Afghan border where security forces are hunting al Qaeda militants, an official said on Friday.
The offer to purchase missiles, rocket launchers and anti-aircraft guns is aimed at defusing tension in South Waziristan, an area where hundreds of militants hid after the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
Ukraine,Cuba,Venezuela,Peru,Sierra Leone,Afghanistan,Iraq,Yemen,Pakistan,Malaysia,Sri Lanka
Ukrainian Arms Exports End Up in a Wide Range of Conflict Zones
19 September 2004
Jane's Defence News, Web Page
Ukraine's arms exports last year stood at US$530-550m, an increase on the year before when they were officially recorded at $440m. JID's regional analyst looks at the implications of Kiev's weapons policy.
Ukrainian experts analysing this highly secretive sector of Ukraine's foreign trade believe that the volume of military exports could rise to an annual maximum of $700m. Of course, these figures do not include the large volume of unofficial trade in weapons. Since... (GunPolicy.org)
Cheap Kalashnikovs Fuelling Culture of Violence
19 September 2004
Khaleej Times (Dubai), Opinion
The ongoing operations being conducted in South Waziristan by the Pakistan Army, accompanied as they are by rising casualties on both sides, are beginning to take on aspects of a minor civil war.
Although the principal target of the security forces are the foreign (Afghan, Arab and Central Asian) fighters said to be in the area, the fact is that many local tribesmen and their families have been killed and wounded. These are all people who lay by the code of the... (GunPolicy.org)
15 July 2004
Asian News International / Dawn (Pakistan)
WASHINGTON — The United States has decided to buy small arms and ammunition from Pakistan, for use in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"The US government needed small arms and light equipment for Iraq and Afghanistan. And they (Americans) have expressed their willingness to buy various kinds of weapons from Pakistan," official sources told The Dawn.
They pointed out that the Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF) and its 14 allied plants were manufacturing quality weapons which... (GunPolicy.org)
Database for Punjabi Firearms Licences Announced
6 May 2004
Dawn (Karachi)
ISLAMABAD — The Ministry of Information Technology has approved 14 projects worth over Rs300 million to automate different public sector organizations and departments including the National Assembly.
The approval to this effect was given at a meeting of the departmental development working party (DDWP), which was presided over by the IT secretary, Khalid Saeed. Other senior officials of the ministry and attached departments also attended the meeting.
Two of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Govt Apathy Digging Small Arms Makers Into the Grave
27 April 2004
Daily Times (Lahore)
DARRA ADAMKHEL — In the absence of government support the century-old arms-manufacturing town of Darra Adamkhel is rapidly losing its distinction as Asia's biggest privately-run weapons market.
Most arms and ammunition manufacturers here run small production units in shops and their houses. Much of the work is done manually or with small machinery units. Although the quality of the weapons manufactured is of low standard, they were once in great demand in Pakistan.... (GunPolicy.org)
Govt Drawing a Bead on Rampant Gun Permits
9 February 2004
Daily Times (Lahore)
LAHORE — In a crackdown on gun ownership, the Punjab government is considering using the newly established public safety commissions (PSCs) at district level to revise the 63,000 licenses issued for automatic and semi-automatic weapons in the province.
Home Department sources said the PSCs would have the difficult task of collecting information about licensed weapons. The sources said that due to alleged corruption among low-level employees in the Postmaster... (GunPolicy.org)
Small Arms Menace an Administrative Problem
11 July 2003
Daily Times (Lahore)
WASHINGTON — The official Pakistani delegation attending a UN conference on the proliferation and control of small arms in New York has projected the issue as an administrative one which could be dealt with if more money was made available by rich countries.
The official Pakistani representatives, according to Dr Ayesha Siddiqa, an independent participant from Pakistan, "completely ignored the fact that the spread of small arms in the end is a political problem. The... (GunPolicy.org)
Seminar: 'Civilians Own Majority of Small Firearms'
8 June 2003
Daily Times (Lahore)
PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Civilians own the majority of the world's stockpile of small firearms which cause around 500,000 deaths each year, speakers at a seminar said on Saturday.
The seminar on "Fighting Weapons of Civil Destruction" was organised by the Community Appraisal and Motivation Programme (CAMP) as a part of the global week of action against small arms. It said around 59 percent if a total of 639 million small guns are owned or controlled by civilians while... (GunPolicy.org)
18 Million Illegal Weapons in Country: Small Arms Survey 2002
14 January 2003
Dawn (Karachi)
There are nine illegal arms for every licensed weapon currently held by individuals in the country. According to officials at the Ministry of Interior there were approximately 18 million illegally-held weapons in Pakistan compared to some two million weapons that were in the hands of legally-licensed owners.
The figure of two million legally authorized weapons in Pakistan is quoted in the Small Arms Survey, 2002. In 2001, the Musharraf government launched a countrywide... (GunPolicy.org)
Pakistan Has 18 Million Illegal Firearms -Report
14 January 2003
Reuters
ISLAMABAD — About 18 million firearms are held illegally in Pakistan in addition to the two million weapons that are legally registered, a newspaper quoted interior ministry officials as saying.
Tuesday's edition of Dawn said a campaign launched in 2001 by military president General Pervez Musharraf to counter the country's "Kalashnikov culture" had led to the recovery of 210,000 illegal weapons in 18 months.
The paper said the Interior Ministry's Small Arms Survey... (GunPolicy.org)
Govt Yet to Give Official Count on Arms Deposited
25 November 2002
Daily Star (Pakistan)
The government could not specify the count of licensed arms deposited even three days after expiry of the extended deadline on November 21.
At his regular briefing yesterday, Principal Information Officer (PIO) Khondker Manirul Alam gave a partial data on the deposited arms but failed to give a total figure.
Deposited were 11,522 arms with the 22 police stations in the capital and 1,055 with the Office of Deputy Commissioner (DC), Dhaka until November 21.
In... (GunPolicy.org)
Crackdown on Illegal Arms Markets Soon
18 August 2002
Agence France Presse
ISLAMABAD Pakistan is to close hundreds of illegal weapons outlets in an attempt to change the nation's "Kalashnikov culture" and reduce gun-related killings, which claim thousands of lives each year, officials said on Sunday.
Authorities in Northwest Frontier Province, a lawless tribal area which borders Afghanistan and is infamous for violent clashes between rival clans, said that weapons markets there would be closed following instructions from Islamabad.
"After... (GunPolicy.org)
Under Political Pressure, Gun Town Slumps
12 April 2002
International Herald Tribune
DARRA ADAM KHEL, Pakistan — Anyone made jumpy by sharp bursts of automatic rifle fire would be well advised not to come here. There is no war, but this is a one-industry town: guns.
Small boys assemble cartridges; their brothers operate drill presses; their fathers file away on stocks.
More than 3,000 father-and-son operations, manufacturing, trading and selling weapons from their box-like open-front shops, stand one after another along the main drag, and the... (GunPolicy.org)
Pakistani Tribes, Gun Trade Go Hand in Hand
18 March 2002
San Francisco Chronicle
DARRA ADAM KHEL, Pakistan — All along the main street in this dusty, one-horse town, dozens of weapons stores are lined with floor-to-ceiling replicas of Russian, Chinese and American arms.
Turbaned men, rifles slung over their shoulders, stroll casually past dirty- faced boys hunched over grinding wheels all seemingly oblivious to a government ban on public display of weapons.
Before people carried guns, they carried swords. It has always been this way, said... (GunPolicy.org)
United Nations Urges Afghanistan to Disarm
13 March 2002
Associated Press
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Afghanistan's future is in jeopardy unless it undertakes a serious effort to round up the millions of weapons circulating throughout the country, the U.N.'s chief human rights official said.
Mary Robinson, who spent several days in Afghanistan last week, said the most pressing human rights issue that faces the interim government of Prime Minister Hamid Karzai is human security.
What really impressed me was that there is relative stability in... (GunPolicy.org)
Weapons Sales Suffering in Pakistan
26 December 2001
Newsday (New York)
DARRA, Pakistan — A stream of bearded men walked into Mohammad Shah's cramped shop, sat cross-legged on an Afghan carpet, sipped green tea and started haggling over the price of AK-47 assault rifles, pistols and shotguns.
A half hour later, three men walked outside and began firing into the air, testing their purchases.
Still, Shah complained that business is lagging. My shop used to be packed all the time, he said as he dismantled a Russian-made shotgun that was... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns, Guns and More Guns in Pakistan's Wild West
28 September 2001
Reuters
PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Secret pen guns, pocket guns, handguns, shotguns, machineguns, anti-aircraft guns-the Wild West of Pakistan is a gun lover's dream.
Almost any type of gun can be bought or copied, and manufacturers and sellers are optimistic that a predicted U.S. blitz on Afghanistan for sheltering Osama bin Laden, prime suspect in the attacks on New York and Washington, could fuel a mini-boom in demand.
"If they attack, I'll be able to make more guns and sell... (GunPolicy.org)
24 September 2001
Dawn (Karachi)
KOHAT — Arms and ammunition manufacturers at Darra Adam Khel in the NWFP are foreseeing a boom in the industry after experiencing two consecutive dull business years, in the wake of imminent US-led big and long military operation in the region, according to a Dawn survey.
The Darra arms and ammunition industry has been thriving mainly on import of scrap from Afghanistan, dating back to the war fought against Soviet forces, for making arms and ammunition for the last... (GunPolicy.org)
23 September 2001
Independent (Dhaka), Opinion
Against the backdrop of poll-related violence throughout the country, and the apparent failure of the relevant authorities in rounding up appreciable quantity of illegal arms from the clutches of anti-social elements, it is with some degree of bewilderment that holders of licensed arms like pistol, shot-gun, etc. are beginning to deposit them with the appropriate authorities as per directive of the Caretaker government.
The owners of licensed arms are not too happy... (GunPolicy.org)
Govt Ask Owners of Licensed Arms to Deposit With Police Stations by Sept 25
18 September 2001
Independent (Dhaka)
The government asked all owners of licensed pistols and revolvers to deposit the arms with the nearest police stations by September 25, ahead of general election, reports UNB.
Besides, the government has imposed ban on carrying of other types of licensed arms from September 23 to October 7.
The government slapped the moratorium by an order issued yesterday for controlling law and order before, during and after the October 1 elections to misuse of legal arms."
All the... (GunPolicy.org)
10 September 2001
Independent (Dhaka)
DINAJPUR — With the abundant availability of huge sophisticated firearms, a different type of pistol is now coming into the country from India, which can be used one time only, reports UNB.
Reliable sources said a huge quantity of such pistols is coming into the country along with other firearms through the different border areas of the district, which is cheaper in price and handy.
They said each of the pistols could be purchased between Tk 300 and Tk 400 with one... (GunPolicy.org)
Recovering Arms for Ensuring Internal Security
9 September 2001
Independent (Dhaka), Editorial
Over the past several years the country has been passing through a wave of horrific violence in which hundreds of people were killed. Never before the country was in the grip of such a severe bloody violence. And now pre-election violence continues to increase resulting in huge toll of human lives as illegal weapons are in the possession of terrorists and criminals. Almost every day the newspapers are reporting about either bloody clashes between the supporters of major... (GunPolicy.org)
131 Firearms Seized, 1,921 Held in Pabna
22 August 2001
Independent (Dhaka)
PABNA — Pabna district police seized a total of 131 firearms and 2,051 explosives on the 30th day of the countrywide combing operation ending on August 15. Police also arrested 1,921 persons during the drive.
The arrested persons included 98 activists of an outlawed political party, 18 listed terrorists and seven terrorists with firearms. The recovered firearms included one rifle, nine pistols, seven revolvers, 15 guns, 28 shutter guns, 67 pipeguns and four other... (GunPolicy.org)
Illegal Weapons to Be Put to Torch
13 August 2001
Dawn (Karachi)
ISLAMABAD — A huge quantity of arms recovered during the recent deweaponisation campaign will be put to the torch in Quetta on Aug 20, Dawn reliably learnt.
All the arms which are not in good condition will be burnt, while those in working condition will be handed over to the law enforcement agencies, an interior ministry official said.
Interior Minister Lt-Gen Moinuddin Haider will preside over a meeting of inter-provincial committee on law and order the same day... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns a Way of Life in Remote Pakistan
3 August 2001
Marlborough Express (New Zealand)
The first time you hear it you jump.
The rapid crack of gunfire from the street, followed by a wafting cloud of smoke.
Soon you get used to it and when the shots ring out you manage not to spill the cup of tea you've been handed.
Welcome to Darra Adam Khel, gun city Pakistan, one of the most unique towns you're likely to come across and not a place for pacifists. For more than 100 years it has been a centre of gun making and today it continues, beyond the control of... (GunPolicy.org)
Musharraf Vows 'Offensive' Arms Searches in Pakistan
2 August 2001
Independent (Dhaka)
ISLAMABAD — Pakistani authorities will launch "targeted searches" to recover millions of illegal arms following a spate of high-profile assassinations, President Pervez Musharraf said Thursday, reports AFP.
The general said the military-led government was determined to crack down on the gun culture which is fueling bloody sectarian, ethnic and political violence throughout the country.
"Let me assure you, we will be conclusive, proactive and offensive," he told a... (GunPolicy.org)
In Pakistan Outback, Guns Abound
13 July 2001
Associated Press
DARRA ADAM KHEIL, Pakistan — Gun-toting tribesmen jostle with goats and donkeys at a dust-blown bazaar on Pakistan's lawless northwest frontier, where slabs of hashish dangle above dirty roadside shacks and every third shop is a small armory of handguns, rifles and machine guns.
In this wild no-man's-land of 15,000 people, where druglords rule from hilltop forts and fugitives come to escape the law, gun-making is a tradition that goes back generations.
No one seems... (GunPolicy.org)
South Asia,Pakistan,Sri Lanka,India
South Asian Nations Awash in Small Weapons, Many Purchased by the United States
11 July 2001
San Francisco Chronicle / AP
South Asia is awash in small arms — many bought by the United States for Afghanistan's mujahedeen during the 1980s — and large quantities are in the hands of insurgents throughout the subcontinent, arms experts say.
Small arms "are the weapons of choice" in many of the small regional insurgencies in Pakistan, Kashmir, Sri Lanka or rebel movements in northeastern India, said Faruq Faisel, spokesman for the South Asia Partnership that analyzes regional... (GunPolicy.org)
Weapons Amnesty Declared in Pakistan
7 June 2001
Washington Times
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistan's military government yesterday began a countrywide crackdown on illicit weapons possession by allowing unlicensed guns to be turned in with impunity until June 20.
After that, mandatory 14-month prison sentences will be imposed.
Enforcement methods have been left in the hands of the governors of the country's four provinces — Sind, Punjab, Northwest Frontier and Baluchistan.
Pakistan's 150 million people have more weapons per... (GunPolicy.org)
Northwest Pakistan, Where Guns Are the Jewellery of Men
27 March 2001
Christian Science Monitor
LANDIKOTAL, Pakistan — In his tiny shop inside the Khyber Pass near the Afghan border, Shoaib Khan pulls out his bestseller: the Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifle.
"Every man should have at least one gun of his own," he says, briefly interrupted as three shots ring out nearby: A customer at another shop is shooting a weapon into the air to test it.
"Weapons are the jewelry of men," he smiles. "Women wear jewelry, men wear guns."
Twelve years after the Soviet Union... (GunPolicy.org)
16 February 2001
Guardian (UK)
Pakistan's military regime has earned the wrath of the country's religious militants by warning that it will crack down on their fund raising and the widespread use of illegal weapons.
In the past, no Pakistani government has dared to curb the power of the religious right, which, for the past decade, has focused its energy on what it calls a 'jihad', or holy war, against Indian rule in Kashmir.
Now the interior minister, Moinuddin Haider, a retired general, has begun... (GunPolicy.org)
Pakistan Plan to Buy Illegal Weapons
7 November 2000
BBC News
The Pakistani government says it is considering a proposal to buy back illegal and unlicensed weapons from their owners.
The Pakistani interior minister, Moinuddin Haider, said the move was part of a drive to create a weapon-free society.
According to the proposals, which will be put forward to the cabinet for approval, the owners would receive between twenty-five and fifty percent of the weapons' value.
The government has already banned new weapon licenses, arms... (GunPolicy.org)
Pakistan Government Wants to Regularize Arms Trade in Tribal Area
27 September 2000
News (Karachi)
ISLAMABAD — The government wants to regularise arms trade in Darra Adamkhel, an official told The News here on Tuesday. He said an official Task Force will finalise deweaponisation policy on Wednesday. The government will unfold the policy for debate to elicit public opinion before getting it approved from the federal cabinet, he said. He said: "The basic objective is to cleanse the society of illegal arms, which will automatically help curb crimes." Among others, the... (GunPolicy.org)
Govt. Seeks to Disarm Pakistanis
2 March 2000
Associated Press
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — It became a crime in Pakistan on Thursday to publicly display weapons — no small thing in a country awash in arms, where a rocket launcher can be bought in the open market.
And that's just the beginning, said Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider, whose job it is to bring order to a nation wracked by sectarian violence, ethnic killings and assassinations.
"They will not like it," the retired army general said of militant Islamic groups. "They... (GunPolicy.org)
Pakistan to Crack Down on Illegal Arms
14 February 2000
Xinhua
ISLAMABAD — The Federal Government of Pakistan is considering a major crackdown on illegal arms holders after mid-March to ensure safety of the masses and improve law and order situation, Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider said.
A proposal to this effect is under consideration by the government to collect all kinds of illegal arms throughout the country, the minister told the local press after a function in Karachi on Sunday.
He said that nobody would be spared as... (GunPolicy.org)
27 January 2000
BBC News
Arms dealers in Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province are having a hard time making a living these days.
The province is where the Khyber Pass links Pakistan to Afghanistan, and where many of the province's Pashtun people, also known as the Pathans, live in "tribal" areas, largely free from Pakistani laws.
It is also home to a large unlicensed arms trade — which took off during the Afghan war, as US weapons for the mujahideen flooded into the region.
But trade is... (GunPolicy.org)
Pakistan to Introduce Law Banning Illegal Weapons
8 January 1999
Xinhua
ISLAMABAD — Pakistani Interior Minister Chaudhry Shajuat Hussain Friday said the government has decided to introduce a new law to enhance punishment for those who keep illegal weapons. Talking to reporters here, he said that the Interior Ministry has prepared a draft of the new law in consultation with the law ministry, adding that ordinance in this connection could be issued any time. He said that a large-scale operation will be launched to recover illicit arms... (GunPolicy.org)