All DPOs, CPOs, and DCs directed to submit inventories of seized weapons within three days

Home dept orders province-wide audit as part of data-driven arms control strategy

LAHORE: In a major move to curb the proliferation of illegal firearms, the Punjab Home Department has directed all deputy commissioners (DCs), district police officers (DPOs), city police officers (CPOs), and the Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Lahore to submit detailed reports on all seized and confiscated illegal weapons within three days.

According to an official circular issued by Section Officer (Judicial-I) M Qasim Sandhu, the initiative is part of a broader provincial strategy to strengthen law and order through a data-driven arms control system.

Three-day deadline for district-wise arms data

Under the new directive, all relevant officials must compile district-wise inventories of seized arms, detailing the type, make, model, calibre, serial number, FIR number, police station, accused details, and the current custody status of each weapon.

The data is to be submitted in both hard and soft formats to the Home Department and the Crime Control Department (CCD) within the stipulated timeframe.

The circular stated that the unchecked presence of illegal weapons poses “a direct threat to public safety, challenges the rule of law, and fuels criminal activity.”

Zero-tolerance policy toward unlicensed firearms

A spokesperson for the Home Department said the initiative reflects the provincial government’s zero-tolerance stance on unlicensed firearms and its commitment to sustainable peace.

“Possession or trade of illegal weapons will not be tolerated under any circumstances,” the spokesperson stressed.

He added that Punjab had completed a comprehensive verification of all arms licenses and dealerships, ensuring transparency and accountability in the issuance and renewal processes.

“Every license individual and institutional has been verified and digitised in collaboration with NADRA, enabling full traceability,” he said.

Evaluating impact of arms surrender law

Officials noted that the current audit will help assess the implementation of the Punjab Surrender of Illegal Arms Act 2025, which offered a 15-day amnesty period for citizens to surrender unlicensed weapons voluntarily.

Under the new law, offenders found with illegal arms after the amnesty face 4 to 14 years imprisonment and fines ranging from Rs1 million to Rs3 million.

A senior Home Department official said the province is transitioning from a reactive to a preventive, intelligence-based arms control system. The collaboration between the Home Department and CCD will facilitate systematic tracking of weapons and dismantling of smuggling networks.

Enhanced monitoring, border surveillance, and policing

Law enforcement agencies have been instructed to tighten border surveillance, conduct arms tracing operations, and ensure secure storage of confiscated weapons.

The Home Department reiterated that the ultimate goal is to promote peace, stability, and citizen safety by reducing the circulation of illegal firearms across Punjab. The Punjab government also decided that only police personnel and registered security guards will be allowed to carry weapons. Private security companies will be formally registered under stricter regulations, with guards linked to the Punjab Police Helpline 15 through a dedicated monitoring section.