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Moin seeks people, media help in Deweaponisation programme

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Lt-Gen Moinuddin Haider (Retd) while admitting enforcement of deweaponisation plan as an uphill task has said it could be successfully enforced with the support of public, media and opinion makers.

Announcing concrete measures to deweaponise the society in a Radio Pakistan, he invited people to voluntarily hand over their illegal weapons to the government.

He said, the persons in possession of illegal weapons will be provided opportunity to sell them to the government at particular sites to be announced later.

In the next phase, the government intends to introduce a law to deal strictly with the holders of illegal weapons after the expiry of immunity period.

On the imposition of ban on sports weapons, the minister said that ban would soon be lifted on weapons used in hunting and sports competition, adding however, the ban would remain in place for the time being.

Carrying of arms by security staff of the multinational companies, embassies etc. would also be regularised and only security guards wearing uniforms would be allowed to carry guns.

To a question about enforcement of ban on display of weapons, he assured that indiscriminate action will be taken against the infringers by ensuring strict implementation of the law.

The Minister noted that complete record of the issuance of prohibited bores was available which would make recovery of assault rifles and Kalashnikovs.

He set the example by announcing voluntary return of a G-3 rifle in his possession.

The minister was of the view that large-scale weaponisation of society in the last twenty years had brought a bad name to the country.

Moin dismissed the impression that deweaponisation was not possible in the NWFP and Balochistan provinces.

"I will initiate a dialogue with the people of the two provinces and convince them to put away their arms as they have already adopted a modern and progressive life style in other sphere of life," he added.

Moin said, to deal with the arms manufacturers in tribal areas, Pakistan Ordinance factories would develop collaboration with them and utilise their expertise.

The Minister referred to the successful campaign launched by Taliban government of weapon-ridden Afghanistan and said, "if they made deweaponisation possible in their country, Pakistan can also do this."

In order to deal with the issue of sectarian violence, Moin said, a dialogue with the religious parties would be initiated through the Inter-Provincial Coordination Committee.

He said, 99 percent of the religious institutions were not involved in militant activities and only one percent of them was learnt to have been involved in objectionable activities which would be rectified through holding dialogue. APP