KARACHI, Dec 8: A substantial number of arms licences issued by the Sindh government since 2003 have not been properly documented or accounted for by the authorities, Dawn has learnt.

Well-placed sources in the provincial government say that an overwhelming number of applicants for arms licences have not undertaken the proper procedures required, even after issuance of the licence.

In some cases, Dawn has learnt, police verifications have been exempted. Officials put the total of such ‘controversial’ licences at between 5,000 and 6,000.

An advertisement published by the Sindh home department on Dec 6 in several national dailies appears to be an admission of this shortcoming on the part of the government. The advertisement calls on all arms licence holders to register their weapons with the nearest police stations and issuing authority.

The advertisement goes on to read that in case of non-compliance, the weapon can be confiscated without any notice under the Arms Rules 1924 sub rule (1). It concludes by stating that the weapons of any non-compliant citizens will be seized after 15 days from publication, ie by Dec 21.

Home department sources tell Dawn that a large number of licences issued since 2003 were not properly registered at the police stations concerned by applicants. Similarly, there are certain discrepancies in the arms licence record at the Executive District Office. It is these discrepancies which have prompted the government to take stock of the situation, the sources add.

Dawn’s sources confirm that there are authentic reports of a single licence being used for several weapons, i.e. one licence number, meant to be unique to each weapon, is found engraved on several (up to four or five) different weapons. This is a particular problem with AK-47s, whose licences are issued by the interior ministry.

The issuing authority (DCO), (in view of serious irregularities, the Sindh government recently took back from the DCOs powers to issue arms licences) home secretary and home minister each have a quota of 200 arms licences per month.

Interestingly, some arms licences have even been issued on photocopied applications in the past, according to inside sources.

The issuing process

The process of obtaining an arms licence is quite arduous, and begins at the City Courts or Civic Centre, where application forms are available with stamp