Arms manufacturers and dealers have warned that if the provincial government was not lifted ban on issuance of transportation license within a week, then they would launch a protest movement across the province. Speaking a news conference at Peshawar Press Club here on Wednesday, President of Hunting and Arms Manufacturers Association (MHSAMA), Mohammad Haroon Shafiq said that arms movement had been disallowed from Peshawar to other provinces, due to non-issuance of transportation license by provincial home department for last 11 months.
He termed that the ban on registered arms manufacturers, which regularly paying all taxes, totally unjustifiable, and was tantamount to supporting unregistered dealers. Accompanied by the association General Secretary Abdul Wakail, information secretary Gul Sharif, and arms dealers and manufacturers, Shafiq said that the provincial home department is using delaying tactics, but it was not issuing transportation license. He maintained the unserious step would adversely affect labour-intensive arms manufacturing industries, and would trigger unemployment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The association president said that the issue was raised with officials of the home department, but not to avail. We are registered arms manufacturers and dealers. We have been depositing millions of rupees on head of renewal of licenses arms manufacturing industries every year, besides other payment of regularly all taxes, despite the fact, the provincial government move against them, totally unwise and unacceptable, Shafiq said.
Abdul Wakail said a total of registered 110 arms manufacturing factories have been established, out of which 75 were fully functional, but he said the step of provincial government would reduce the arms producing industrial units at 20, amid prevailing situation.
The arms manufacturers, he said, have obtained the Non-objection certificate (NOC) from Punjab, and got order from clients, but they would not be able to transport arms there, due to non-availability of relevant license. He informed that the DCO, DG, Commissioner and Police department have agreed on transportation arms, manufactured by local industries, but it was allowed on production of transportation license.
Wakail said the situation would get further worse, if the licenses were not issued within a week. So, he urged the provincial home department to sense the gravity of the situation, and lift immediate ban on issuance transportation license, to avoid losses of businesses and unemployment situation in the province. He warned that if the demand was not fulfilled within a week time, and would compel to start protest against it.
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