Gun law in Pakistan

[2] Although firearms are widely owned, heavy weaponry is permitted only in tribal areas within the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

This includes the circulation of rocket-propelled grenades, short, medium, and long-range rockets, anti-aircraft guns, mortars and other types of firearms.

In contrast, many people in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Baluchistan and rural areas of Punjab and Sindh view it as a distinct part of their culture.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the Pashtun residents laud performances of strength and toughness, carrying an AK-47 or other gun is a sign of honor and respect.

The town of Darra Adam Khel, near Peshawar, is a notable center for gun manufacturing historically, and is known for its Lee–Enfield, 303 facsimiles and other Khyber Pass copies.

It gives the federal government power to establish rules for issuing firearm licenses via notification in the Official Gazette.

Pakistani citizens and a special category of foreigners can legally own guns and a license is required in order to purchase a firearm.

Acquisition of the license involves the payment of fees, a processing time ranging from a few days to months, and the registration of the firearm with the relevant local authority.

[13] The gazette notification dated June 7, 2013, published by the Pakistani Ministry of Interior defines prohibited and non-prohibited weapons.

[17] Arms rules in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from 2014, state that firearm licenses can be granted to any citizen of Pakistan and resident of the province.

In January 2009, the Sindh High Court ordered the government to establish a policy on issuing new NPB and PB licenses.

In Pakistan, the law requires that a record of the acquisition, possession, and transfer of each privately held firearm be retained on an official register.

[22] Finally, licensed gun makers are required to keep a record of each firearm produced, for inspection by a regulating authority.

In Pakistan, private guns are prohibited in a range of public and private spaces including educational institutions, hostels, boarding and lodging houses, fairs, gatherings, or processions of a political, religious, ceremonial, or sectarian character, and on the premises of courts of law or public offices.

[27] Special permits are also required for carrying firearms during times when local authorities impose restrictions on public gatherings in order to preempt civil unrest, or during protests that are expected to become violent.

In 2015, the government of Punjab banned the open carrying of licensed weapons with a minimum penalty of two years in prison.

The total number of firearms destroyed following recent state amnesties, collection, and seizure programs is reported to be 641,107.

[30] The Pakistani military routinely captures weapons seized from the Taliban and other insurgents and stores them in their storage facilities.