Pakistan issued 13,922 arms licences in three years, Interior Ministry reveals

Pakistan’s Interior Ministry has revealed that a total of 13,922 arms licences were issued across the country over the past three years according to details presented in the National Assembly.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Interior Ministry has revealed that a total of 13,922 arms licences were issued across the country over the past three years according to details presented in the National Assembly.

The figures were shared during the question hour in the lower house of Parliament where the ministry provided information about licences issued for both prohibited-bore and non-prohibited-bore weapons.

According to the report more than 11,000 licences were issued for non-prohibited-bore weapons while 2,770 licences were granted for prohibited-bore weapons during the three-year period.

The figures highlight the number of arms licences issued under the two categories which distinguish between weapons subject to different levels of legal restriction.

The ministry’s documents also provided annual figures for 2024 and 2025. A total of 3,151 arms licences were issued in 2024 followed by 3,125 in 2025.

The reported figures indicate a slight decrease in the number of licences issued in 2025 compared with the previous year.

The information was presented to lawmakers as part of parliamentary scrutiny of the government’s licensing activity. The report stated that the figures prompted discussion in the National Assembly.

However, the available details did not provide a complete year-by-year breakdown for all three years or specify how many licences were issued in each category annually.

The report also did not clarify whether the overall figure includes only newly issued licences or whether any other licensing-related categories were included.

The Interior Ministry’s disclosure provides Parliament with an overview of arms licensing activity nationwide. Further details about the licensing process regulatory requirements and annual distribution could provide a clearer picture of how licences are issued across the country.