LAHORE: The Punjab government has finalised a sweeping new law aimed at curbing the spread of illegal weapons and tightening control over licensed firearms, as part of a province-wide de-weaponisation drive.
The Punjab Surrender of Illicit Arms Act 2025, now ready for approval by the provincial cabinet, will be presented before the Punjab Assembly once cleared.
The proposed legislation, a copy of which is available with this correspondent, seeks to establish a comprehensive legal and administrative framework to remove illicit arms from society, encourage voluntary compliance, strengthen oversight of licence holders and ensure swift punishment for violations. Officials say the draft law has been prepared in view of rising security challenges, misuse of firearms and the need to modernise outdated arms control laws.
If enacted, the law will apply to the entire province and will come into force immediately. It will repeal the Surrender of Illicit Arms Act of 1991 in Punjab, while protecting actions already taken under the earlier law.
A central feature of the bill is a formal mechanism for the surrender of illicit arms and ammunition. The Home Department, with cabinet approval, will notify specific periods during which all illegal weapons must be surrendered. The initial surrender window will be 15 days, though the government may extend it, and limited additional time may be granted in hardship cases after a hearing. People who are abroad during the notified period will also be required to surrender illicit weapons through representatives or within two weeks of returning to Pakistan. Any person who surrenders illegal arms during the notified period will be protected from prosecution for mere possession. However, this protection will not apply if the surrendered weapon was used in a crime. All surrendered weapons and ammunition will be officially acknowledged through prescribed forms, entered into a digital inventory and later destroyed or disposed of according to rules framed under the law.
The bill provides an extensive definition of illicit arms, covering explosives, bombs, grenades, mines, poisonous gas containers, automatic weapons, machine guns, sub-machine guns, automatic rifles, pistols, revolvers and other firearms held in violation of existing arms and explosives laws. The government will also retain the authority to declare additional weapons or substances as illicit through official notification.
Punishments under the proposed law are among the harshest ever suggested in provincial legislation. Possession of explosives, bombs or highly dangerous weapons could result in life imprisonment along with forfeiture of both movable and immovable property. Possession of automatic weapons may also lead to life imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum of ten years. Other illegal firearms could attract prison terms of up to 14 years, with a minimum sentence of three years.
All illicit arms involved in convictions will be confiscated and forfeited to the government.
The bill also addresses issues related to licensed firearms. It allows license holders to voluntarily surrender their weapons and ammunition, either permanently or temporarily, through police stations or designated authorities. Detailed procedures have been laid down for acknowledgement, digital recording, cancellation of licences and, in certain cases, restoration of surrendered arms.
Legal heirs of deceased licence holders will be required to surrender weapons held in the name of the deceased. However, they may apply within a specified period to obtain a new licence in their own name, subject to scrutiny and approval. Weapons that are not returned through the legal process will be permanently confiscated by the state.
Expired licences will no longer be overlooked. Licence holders will be required to renew expired licences within the notified surrender period by paying prescribed fees and fines. Failure to do so will require surrender of both weapons and licences. Weapons licensed by the federal government or other provinces will also have to be reported and physically produced before local police for verification and digital record-keeping.
A major shift introduced by the bill is systematic scrutiny and inspection of arms licensees. An authority, to be notified by the Home Department, will oversee de-weaponisation, investigations, seizures and licence scrutiny. Designated officers will be empowered to inspect license holders, demand production of weapons and licences and assess whether a person remains eligible to possess firearms.
The scrutiny process will include verification of tax status, criminal record, involvement in serious offences, use of weapons in crimes, local security conditions, threat perception, domicile status and compliance with arms laws. Failure to cooperate with inspections could result in imprisonment of up to ten years, along with confiscation of weapons. Safeguards have been included to penalise officials who abuse their authority, with imprisonment and fines proposed for misconduct.
Serving civil servants, police and armed forces personnel, as well as recipients of gallantry or civil awards, have been exempted from certain scrutiny provisions, while the government may grant additional exemptions through notification.
The bill also introduces provisions for antique arms, allowing certain weapons to be certified as ineffective and suitable only for display at fixed locations.
To ensure enforcement, all offences under the proposed law will be cognisable and non-bailable. The government plans to establish at least one special court in every district to try cases under the act. These courts will be presided over by serving sessions judges and will be required to conclude trials within 45 days, with proceedings conducted on a day-to-day basis. Appeals against final judgments will lie before the Lahore High Court.
An appeals and revision mechanism has also been built into the law. License holders whose licences are cancelled will be able to appeal before the Home Secretary and seek revision before the Chief Secretary. If an appeal or revision succeeds, surrendered weapons and licences will be restored through a documented and digitised process.
The proposed law places strong emphasis on transparency and technology. All surrender, deposit, confiscation and return of weapons will be documented through standardised forms and uploaded to a joint digital database managed by the Home Department and the designated authority.
Public awareness is another key element. The Home Department will be legally bound to widely publicise the law and surrender periods through print, electronic and social media to ensure maximum compliance.
The bill also introduces a whistle-blower mechanism, allowing citizens to report illegal weapons or violations in writing or electronically. While genuine disclosures will be assessed and verified, false or malicious complaints may result in fines.
Officials describe the proposed law as a decisive step toward restoring the writ of the state, reducing gun violence and bringing arms regulation under a single, enforceable framework. If approved by the cabinet and passed by the Punjab Assembly, the act is expected to significantly reshape weapons control and law enforcement across the province.
