Punjab Suspends New Arms License Applications

The Punjab Home Department has suspended the process of validating and computerizing manual arms licenses throughout the province.

According to an official circular issued to all Divisional Commissioners and the Additional Secretary (Judicial), the department reviewed existing arms licensing rules and procedures under current laws. Following the review, the competent authority decided to withdraw earlier directives and stop accepting new applications with effect from November 11, 2025.

Officials have been instructed to compile consolidated reports of all license applications submitted between March 18 and November 11, 2025. These reports will assist in planning the government’s forthcoming de-weaponization and illicit arms surrender campaign.

A spokesperson for the Home Department said the Punjab government had previously given a final opportunity to individuals, organizations, and security firms to validate and computerize their manual licenses. With the deadline now over, preparations are underway for a comprehensive operation against illegal firearms.

The initiative to computerize manual arms licenses was first introduced in 2016, with December 31, 2020, originally set as the deadline. Licenses not updated by that date were declared invalid.

Earlier, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari announced that shops belonging to unlicensed arms dealers across the province had been sealed as part of the crackdown on illegal weapons. She stated that 28 arms dealers had their licenses revoked and confirmed that no new arms licences will be issued.

The Home Department estimates that over one million residents in Punjab currently possess firearms. Officials have reiterated that all licensed weapons must be properly registered and that the province maintains a zero-tolerance stance toward unlawful arms possession.