Punjab tells arms dealers to make digital inventories

Punjab tells arms dealers to make digital inventories

• Home dept instructs merchants to upload existing stock and purchase, sale records by 26th LAHORE: The Punjab home department has made digital inventory mandatory for all arms dealers across the province to compile arms data. The initiative has been taken under the provincial government’s vision of a Punjab that is “safe and free from illegal weapons”. All arms dealers will be req­ui­red to record their complete existing stock and details of all purch­a­­ses and sales on the home dep­a­rtment’s online portal by Aug 26. A home department spokesman said the inventory module had been introduced for business arms licence (BAL) holders across Punjab. The complete record of all firearms and ammunition held by each arms dealer will be available on the online portal, along with a digital record of all arms purchases and sales. All arms dealers are required to enter details of their existing stock on the Punjab Arms Licence portal (https://pal.nadra.gov.pk/pal/). The deadline for registering existing stock and purchase and sale records has been set for Aug 26 this year. The home department has directed all arms dealers to ensure complete registration of their existing stock by the stipulated deadline. It has provided all deputy commissioners with details of arms dealers operating in their respective districts. Warning of legal action In a letter addressed to all deputy commissioners, the home department has directed them to ensure that all arms dealers register their existing stock on the online portal and submit a compliance report to the Punjab home department after updating the records. Legal action will be taken against arms dealers who fail to upload their inventory, a department spokesman said. Under the law, the licences of non-compliant arms dealers may be suspended, their businesses sealed and fines imposed for failure to upload stock details. The home department is also organising a special training workshop for arms dealers on the arms licence inventory module at the Punjab Forensic Science Authority auditorium on Aug 24 (Monday). Online arrangements for the training workshop have also been made at the offices of deputy commissioners across the province, from where arms dealers will be able to participate in the workshop online. The workshop will provide arms dealers with detailed guidance on the online portal and the inventory module, while also giving them an opportunity to raise questions and concerns regarding the system, the home department stated. Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2026