Deweaponisation

Thursday, 12 Aug, 2010


There have been several deweaponisation campaigns in the past, yet none of them have been successful. However, if steps are not taken now the problem may spiral out of control, if it has not done so already. Estimates suggest there are millions of weapons in the country. - Photo by AP.

Karachi’s dreadful orgy of violence last week, in which nearly 100 people were killed in a period of three days, has once again drawn attention to the issue of illegal weapons.



Officialdom is talking about increasing penalties for those found possessing illegal arms as the latter are clearly playing a major role in fuelling chaos across Pakistan, especially in Karachi. From sectarian death squads to urban gangsters to fringe political activists, all sorts of unsavoury characters are armed to the teeth in this country. Hence there exists a great need for the government to deweaponise society.

At an official meeting held in Karachi on Tuesday, it was decided that in order to put a cap on the seemingly unstoppable trend of targeted killings, a number of steps would be taken. Among them, punishment for possession of illegal weapons would be 10 years’ imprisonment. The ISI and IB would also coordinate with local police to maintain a check on violence. It was also announced that no ‘political pressure’ would be tolerated when dealing with such cases. Such tough talk has been heard countless times, yet each new cycle of violence seems to be more brutal than the last. The government must ensure that such statements are followed up with action, or else these hollow promises will end up as an insult to the citizens’ intelligence. It seems the most obvious solution to ending violence is to cleanse the city and the country of illegal weapons and to bring the perpetrators to justice.

There have been several deweaponisation campaigns in the past, yet none of them have been successful. However, if steps are not taken now the problem may spiral out of control, if it has not done so already. Estimates suggest there are millions of weapons in the country. Guns are coming into Pakistan from beyond its borders while areas like Darra Adamkhel within the country are also a major source of illegal arms. The supply lines which allow weapons to pour into our cities and towns need to be cut. Though targeting the end user is important, the entire network involved in the illicit arms trade — smugglers, suppliers, distributors, complicit officials — must be dismantled. Since the intelligence agencies are now on board, it is hoped they will be effective in curbing arms’ smuggling. Armed sectarian militias and violent elements associated with political parties must be defanged. Also, the display of weapons — including by guards accompanying politicians and other ‘elites’ — must be strictly banned. The situation demands that a well-planned, across-the-board deweaponisation campaign be carried out if normalcy is to be restored.