ISLAMABAD - The Ministry of Interior Thursday informed a Senate panel that the federal government had finalized its arms licenses policy and had been sent to the Prime Minister for final approval but all provinces had started issuing arms licenses at their own in the light of the 18th Amendment and this would be a hurdle in the implementation of the policy.
Additional Secretary Ministry of Interior Hamid Ali Khan informed this while giving a briefing to the Senate Standing Committee on Interior. The committee had taken up the matter of federal government ban on issuance of arms licenses (non-prohibited bore (NPB) licenses and prohibited bore (PB) licenses) and the security of Chinese working at various development projects in Pakistan. The senior officers of the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) also participated in the meeting. The committee said that it would also recommend the federal government to lift a ban on the issuance of arms licenses, both NPB and PB.
The Ministry of Interior raised many eyebrows when the additional secretary told the meeting that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had issued as many 79,266 NPB licenses during the last one year. He also said that Sindh had issued 19000 PB licenses followed by Punjab 2482 NPB and Balochistan issued 1132 NPB licenses during the last one year. He said that Punjab had also issued 133 PB licenses for the security of Nandipur Power Project and according to the information sent by the provincial home departments, no other province had issued PB license other than Punjab. However, the chairman Committee Senator Talha Mahmood of JUI-F was of the view that the information provided to the Ministry of Interior by the KP Home Department was not true, as the province had also issued PB licenses. He said that the issuance of around 80,000 NPB licenses by the PK government was even alarming and needed to be investigated.
The committee was informed that provincial governments of KP and Singh have passed their own legislations on issuance of arms licenses in the light of the 18th Amendment and were stressing that the federal government had no concern with the arms licenses. The Additional Secretary said, "KP is issuing arms licenses having validity for all Pakistan."
Under the new policy, no person having criminal background and non-tax payer would be issued any arm license. The SHO of the concerned area would verify the credentials of the applicant. Under the policy, the provinces can issue NPB licenses and the authority to issue PB licenses would remain with Prime Minister. In Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), Deputy Commissioner Islamabad would issue NPB licenses.
The additional secretary said, "The Law Division had advised the ministry either to amend the Constitution in connection with the devolution of arms licenses to the provinces to take the power back to the federal govt or go to the Council of Common Interests (CCI) to have the consent of the provinces and make a policy while taking on board all the provinces." He said that at present the federal government had put a ban on the issuance of all kinds of arms licenses. Director General National Counter-terrorism Authority (NACTA) sought a separate in-camera briefing on the law and order situation of the country saying the matter was sensitive in nature.
The DG informed the committee, "Total 8956 Chinese were working in Pakistan in various developments projects and 12,596 personnel had been deployed to provide them security." The security personnel include army, Frontier Corps, Frontier Constabulary, Rangers, police and private security guards. He said that the government was trying to revamp the security model to provide standard security to the foreigners including Chinese. He said that Gilgit Baltistan Scouts, a paramilitary force, had recruited 1530 for security of under construction Pak-China corridor. "An additional wing of GB Scouts was being raised for the security project of Diamir Basha Dam," he added.
Hamid Khan, Additional Secretary gave a different version said, "After going through the record of IBMS (Integrated Border Management System), the ministry has ascertained that 16000 Chinese were working in Pakistan and 9400 were working in the development projects."
He said that security was being provided to the Chinese under the special instructions of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and army was involved in it. He said army and other law enforcement agencies were providing inner cordon security of Chinese and private security companies were providing out cordon security.
Chairman Committee Senator Talha Mahmood put a question before the ministry that what security steps the government had taken for the security of Chinese who were involved in 100 billion dollars Pak-China Economic Corridor project.
The committee took serious notice over what the Ministry of Interior had given wrong information to the Prime Minister office over the issue of boycott of the committee by the officers of the ministry and the minister of interior himself. A member asked to take action against Minister of Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan under the rules and proposed that the PM should be written for action against the minister.
The committee asked the FIA to give the report on the law and order situation of Sust Dry Port, located in GB, and what illegal activities were going on there as Chinese were involved in the project.