ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Minister of State for Interior Muhammad Baligh-ur-Rehman on Wednesday informed the upper house of the parliament that there was no plan to lift ban on issuance of licenses of prohibited bore and non-prohibited bore arms licenses
Replying to a question in the senate, the minister said that the federal government was strictly implementing its policy of not issuing arms licenses to have control on misuse of arms and discourage this practice in public.
In a written reply, the Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said that 244,761 prohibited bore and non prohibited bore arms licenses have been issued by the Ministry of Interior during last 10 years from year 2007 to year 2017.
He added out of total as many as 165,327 non prohibited arms licenses while 79,412 prohibited arms licenses have been issued during the period.
The ministry has issued 102,706 arms licenses in Punjab, 56,126 licenses in Sindh, 51,198 licenses in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 30,923 licenses in Balochistan, 365 licenses in Islamabad, 337 in Azad Kashmir while 106 arms licenses have been issued in Gilgit-Baltistan.
He said that in total as many as 32,020 prohibited bore arms licenses and 70,686 non prohibited bore arms licenses have been issued in Punjab, in Sindh 14,349 prohibited bore arms licenses and 41,777 non prohibited bore arms licenses have been issued by the Ministry of Interior.
Similarly, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 17,459 prohibited bore arms licenses and 33, 739 non prohibited bore arms licenses have been issued while in Balochistan 13,852 prohibited bore arms licenses and 17,071 non prohibited bore arms licenses have been issued.
He said that the ministry has issued 1,526 prohibited bore arms licenses and 1,839 non prohibited bore arms licenses in Islamabad, 166 prohibited bore arms licenses and 177 non prohibited bore arms licenses in Azad Kashmir and 49 prohibited bore arms licenses and 57 non prohibited bore arms licenses have been issued in Gilgit Baltistan.
The minister said that total 196 cases of adulteration in food items and drinks were reported during the period of 2016-17 and 42 hotels and restaurants were involved in these cases.
He added nine hotels and restaurants were sealed and an amount of Rs 11,20,000 was imposed as fine on all 42 hotels and restaurants found involved in adulteration.
He said that four shrines are under the administrative control of Auqaf Directorate, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration, Ministry of Interior included Darbar of Hazrat Barri Imam (RA), Noorpur Shahan, Islamabad, Darbar of Hazrat Sakhi Mehmood Badshah (RA), Aabpara, Islamabad, Darbar of Hazrat Sakhi Dervesh Badshah, Miana Thub, Near Sihala, Islamabad and Chillah Gah of Hazrat Barri Imam (RA) at Lohe Dundee (Margalla Hills), Islamabad.