DOMESTIC FIREARM LEGISLATION
Currently there are laws in Pakistan regulating the sale, transport , import, export and bearing of arms and ammunition, but these laws largely go unenforced. (6)
In February 2000, the military government led by General Musharraf announced its intention to launch a campaign to “de-weaponize” Pakistan. Progress has been made in most areas but not in the reduction of illegal manufacturing industries or in the imposition of a quota system on weapons production. (4) As of July 2001, only 86,700 weapons had been collected from an estimated 20 million in circulation, and only 3,412 of these were the infamous and easily available AK-47 assault rifles. (8) Further raids pushed the total to over 100,000 in August of 2001. (9) A total of 210,000 weapons were seized over the 18 month period. (10)
Licensing Requirements: Not known
Registration Requirements: Not known
Training Requirements: Not known
Storage Requirements: Not known
Prohibited Firearms: Not known
Penalties: The penalties for arms offences are fines or a jail term of up to seven years. (6)
MANUFACTURE, IMPORT AND EXPORT (2)
The companies that legally manufacture small arms in Pakistan are the following: Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), Daudsons Armoury, Dr A Q Khan, Research Laboratories Kahuta (KRL), Frontier Arms Company (FAC), G.M. Badil & Company, Institute of Optronics Pakistan, Khyber Arms Company (KAC), National Development Complex (NDC), Pakistan Machine Tool Factory (PVT) Ltd, Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF), Wah Industries Limited. (2)
The weapons legally manufactured in Pakistan by the foregoing companies are: pistols, revolvers, shotguns, rifles, carbines, sub-machine guns, light and heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, mortar <100mm, ammunition, explosives, grenades, rockets, projectiles and land mines. (2)
Pakistan also has a thriving unlicensed, unregulated arms production industry. While these factories operate outside of the law, there is no legislation prohibiting the purchase of weapons from illegal manufacturers. As a result, even Pakistanis who are licensed to own firearms may choose to buy weapons from illegal factories because the prices are much lower. The quality of such firearms varies considerably, but the weapons tend to be crude. (11)
The Darra Adam Khel region, which has a population of about 300,000, is the centre of illegal arms production in Pakistan. It houses over 3,000 “father-and-son” operations which are involved in the illicit manufacturing and selling of weapons. (11) According to recent estimates, the region employs more than 400,000 people. (6) Prior to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, these shops produced mainly repeating rifles. The steady influx of weapons from various sources during the war enhanced the local manufacturer’s knowledge, skills and production capacities. The Darra region produces approximately 20,000 units of all kinds of weapons each year. (11) They have the capacity to produce over 100 AK-47s per day at less than $153 (US). (7)
Pakistan has no registered exports. Pakistan imports weapons from many countries, including Canada, Germany, South Africa ($870,163 worth in 1999), the United Kingdom and the United States of America ($1,616,665 worth in 1997). Imports from the Republic of Korea, China, Germany, the Czech Republic and the UK in the year 2000 totaled $5.7 million (US). (5)