Pakistan has seen a sharp increase of light and heavy illegal arms
pouring in and still there seems no effective check and balance in the
offing to put an end to arms smuggling into the country. The missing of
NATO containers from Karachi port still remained a mystery as concerned
quarters failed to even find the cluses despite having all the
information they needed. Most of the missing containers were loaded with
highly sophisticated weapons which unfortunately fell in to the hands
of terrorists outfits and other criminals who took full advantage of the
situation and some how manage to disturb the law and order situation
especially in Karachi and rest of the country to a extent that nobody
feel safe now. Under the prevalent political situation, it has become
necessary to cut down the supply of weapons to the terrorists by taking
masses into confidence to trace the elements involved in weapons’
smuggling/ supply.
It has been reported numerous times that most of the arms dealers are selling weapons under the table. They are not just making mockery of the law of the land but also putting the lives of hundred of thousands people into jeopardy. Zardari-led government introduced amendments to its arms import policy and changed it from a value-based to a quantity-based one in 2014. But the Nawaz Sharif’s government too failed to ensure its implementation.. This paved the way to these arm dealers to spread their network across the country and filling up every major city of the country with sophisticated weapons. The use of anti-aircraft guns and 9 mm pistol in many act of violence is the ample proof of the illegal activities.
The practice needs to be curbed as country can not afford sale of arms any further , while the reasons behind the Pakistan’s ever-increasing graph of violence is disparate and many, there’s one thing that underpins it all; one thing that, so to speak, facilitates violence — easy access to all sorts of weapons. If all the tensions that are currently ripping the country apart remained, even then it would be possible to argue that were this not such a heavily weaponised environment, the levels of threat-escalation would be lower. Nowhere is this more evident than in Karachi, which is seeing steadily increasing levels of petty crime such as the snatching of phones and wallets. These are generally crimes of opportunity that occur because a weapon is at hand, cheaply and easily. Then there are security challenges of a different nature which must be countered in different ways, as each equation demands. But in each case, reducing the number of arms coming into the country and deweaponisation are the first critical steps as it would definitely help in reducing violent crimes and might save our young generation from falling prey to any violent crime. The common man is the ultimate suffer as in most of the innocent citizens lost their lives after being targeting with highly sophisticated weapons. It is a matter of concern too for those sitting on the helm of affairs that how the anti state element manage to smuggle Russian, Israeli and other foreign countries weapons into the country and still the deweaponisation policy is resting at the tables of bureaucrats for long.
The government and all the stakeholders have to sit on same table to devise a comprehensive strategy to purge the country of illegal arms if they are sincere in resolving the problems of the masses.. The easy access to weapons ranging from handgun to anti-aircraft guns pose a serious threat to civilian as well government too as not a month goes by when the terrorists either blow up gas pipeline or fire mortar shell at the heavily guarded government installations. All what country need to purge the country of illegal arms and form a policy and ensure it’s implementation in letter and spirit.
The country is witnessing a sharp increase in violent crimes due to easy availability of weapons at every major city. Now it is no secret to anybody that Pakistan’s streets has badly been infested with the illegal weapons. For example, a campaign to rid Karachi of illegal weapons can still be launched to cut down the terrorists’ supply line by nabbing dealers involved. It is the challenge for concerned quarters to immediately devise a plan to purge the country from such arm dealers who are involved in selling arms to the terrorists. All it needs commitment to provide safe enshrinement to the citizens who lost their lives at the hands of terrorists who are still using foreign-made weapons.
It has been reported numerous times that most of the arms dealers are selling weapons under the table. They are not just making mockery of the law of the land but also putting the lives of hundred of thousands people into jeopardy. Zardari-led government introduced amendments to its arms import policy and changed it from a value-based to a quantity-based one in 2014. But the Nawaz Sharif’s government too failed to ensure its implementation.. This paved the way to these arm dealers to spread their network across the country and filling up every major city of the country with sophisticated weapons. The use of anti-aircraft guns and 9 mm pistol in many act of violence is the ample proof of the illegal activities.
The practice needs to be curbed as country can not afford sale of arms any further , while the reasons behind the Pakistan’s ever-increasing graph of violence is disparate and many, there’s one thing that underpins it all; one thing that, so to speak, facilitates violence — easy access to all sorts of weapons. If all the tensions that are currently ripping the country apart remained, even then it would be possible to argue that were this not such a heavily weaponised environment, the levels of threat-escalation would be lower. Nowhere is this more evident than in Karachi, which is seeing steadily increasing levels of petty crime such as the snatching of phones and wallets. These are generally crimes of opportunity that occur because a weapon is at hand, cheaply and easily. Then there are security challenges of a different nature which must be countered in different ways, as each equation demands. But in each case, reducing the number of arms coming into the country and deweaponisation are the first critical steps as it would definitely help in reducing violent crimes and might save our young generation from falling prey to any violent crime. The common man is the ultimate suffer as in most of the innocent citizens lost their lives after being targeting with highly sophisticated weapons. It is a matter of concern too for those sitting on the helm of affairs that how the anti state element manage to smuggle Russian, Israeli and other foreign countries weapons into the country and still the deweaponisation policy is resting at the tables of bureaucrats for long.
The government and all the stakeholders have to sit on same table to devise a comprehensive strategy to purge the country of illegal arms if they are sincere in resolving the problems of the masses.. The easy access to weapons ranging from handgun to anti-aircraft guns pose a serious threat to civilian as well government too as not a month goes by when the terrorists either blow up gas pipeline or fire mortar shell at the heavily guarded government installations. All what country need to purge the country of illegal arms and form a policy and ensure it’s implementation in letter and spirit.
The country is witnessing a sharp increase in violent crimes due to easy availability of weapons at every major city. Now it is no secret to anybody that Pakistan’s streets has badly been infested with the illegal weapons. For example, a campaign to rid Karachi of illegal weapons can still be launched to cut down the terrorists’ supply line by nabbing dealers involved. It is the challenge for concerned quarters to immediately devise a plan to purge the country from such arm dealers who are involved in selling arms to the terrorists. All it needs commitment to provide safe enshrinement to the citizens who lost their lives at the hands of terrorists who are still using foreign-made weapons.
