Pakistan faces a persistent and evolving challenge: the widespread proliferation of illicit firearms fueling both terrorism and crime. Despite repeated pledges to enforce arms control, efforts to de-weaponize society have been constrained by cultural legacies, legal loopholes, weak enforcement institutions, and conflicting political priorities. Incidents such as cross-border arms trafficking, gang violence, and high-profile militant attacks underscore the importance of measuring both the effectiveness and political will behind disarmament initiatives.
Scale of the Problem: Illicit Firearms Proliferation
Research estimates that Pakistan ranks among the world’s top nations in civilian gun ownership – around 116 individuals per 1,000 possess firearms, ranking sixth globally. Much of this originates from traditional gun‑cultures prevalent in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and parts of Punjab and Sindh, where carrying arms is tied to identity, prestige, and self‑defence—often outside formal licensing systems.
Illicit weapons also flow from multiple sources: stolen military-grade small arms and light weapons abandoned during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, local manufacturing hubs like Darra Adam Khel, and porous Afghan border zones with active smuggling networks. A small arms smuggling report for the UN noted that Afghan-Taliban-affiliated actors and low-level officials facilitate trafficking into Pakistan, sustaining militant and criminal activity. Meanwhile, a recent UN warning highlighted how billions of dollars’ worth of abandoned arms in Afghanistan empower groups like FAK and FAH.
Legal Architecture and Its Limitations
Pakistan’s primary regulatory framework is the Arms Ordinance of 1965, supplemented by provincial rules post‑18th Amendment. The federal legislation retains authority over import and export, while provinces now issue licensing, set minimum age limits, and enforce penalties for illicit possession—from 7 to 14 years imprisonment.
Despite formal regulations, major gaps persist: licensing procedures remain inconsistent, record-keeping is weak, and definitions of prohibited arms vary across provinces. Heavy weapons remain technically prohibited but are still widely held, particularly in tribal regions beyond stringent governmental oversight. The CFHR legislative gap analysis notes misalignment with the UN Firearms Protocol and the Arms Trade Treaty, urging reforms in brokering, stock marking, custody tracking, and international transfers.
Image Credits: Dunya
Enforcement Institutions and Their Constraints
Law enforcement faces major constraints. Markets like Darra Adam Khel operate with impunity – small arms and even rocket‑propelled grenade replicas are manufactured and sold openly, bypassing any licensing or regulation. Brockering networks and tribal protections further limit state reach.
While authorities have implemented voluntary weapon surrender and amnesty campaigns, their impact has been limited by limited outreach and community distrust. Counter-terrorism operations such as Operation Azm‑e‑Istehkam, launched in June 2024, integrate military and civilian efforts to curb militancy and dismantle illicit supply chains—but have yet to yield broad structural reform in weapon markets.
In May 2025, Pakistan launched NIFTAC (National Intelligence Fusion & Threat Assessment Centre) to enhance coordination among provincial and federal agencies including NACTA and police intelligence. Its goal is to strengthen interagency cooperation and real-time threat analysis, which could improve tracking and interdiction of illicit arms networks if empowered appropriately.
Cultural and Political Challenges
Efforts to seize guns or impose weapon‑free zones frequently encounter resistance in regions where firearms are seen as symbols of personal strength and lineage. In Kurram District, tribal disarmament orders to curb recent sectarian violence included voluntary surrender of weapons. But local Shiite community leaders feared that disarmament would undermine their security against extremist threats—highlighting the political cost of enforcement without community trust. Similarly, state bans on aerial firing at weddings and public celebrations are often defied culturally, weakening rule-of-law credibility.
Source: AP
Implications for the Security Environment
The failure to curtail weapon proliferation has direct consequences:
- Militants armed with advanced U.S.‑made rifles, night‑vision gear, and thermal optics gained a tactical edge over Pakistani forces—particularly in northwest Pakistan after Afghan stockpile leakage. This upturned years of counter-insurgency gains and contributed significantly to FAK violence.
- Criminal gangs such as the Katcha bandits in Sindh and southern Punjab operate with heavy arsenals outmatching police firepower, sustaining organised crime, kidnappings, and violence across districts.
- Persistent arms flows from Afghanistan fuel both terrorism and communal violence, undermining broader economic and social stability.
Towards Real Reform: Closing the Gaps
True de-weaponization requires more than seizure campaigns—it requires legal modernization, stronger institutions, and cultural embedding:
- Harmonize provincial and federal firearms legislation in line with international norms (Firearms Protocol, ATT). Enforce marking, import licensing transparency, and record‑tracking of all civilian and government-held weapons.
- Target Darra Adam Khel production hubs by offering economic alternatives to gunsmith artisans, combined with enhanced policing and border control.
- Empower NIFTAC and provincial fusion centres to track smuggling networks across provinces, integrating data with frontline police and customs.
- Expand and enforce voluntary weapons surrender programmes with incentives and community dialogue to build trust.
- Conduct community awareness campaigns against traditional gun valorization, promoting norms favouring non-violence and legal ownership.
Pakistan’s long‑standing struggle with illicit firearms is neither incidental nor straightforward. It stems from deep-rooted cultural norms, porous borders, fragile institutions, and political ambivalence. Although recent institutional developments—such as NIFTAC and Operation Azm‑e‑Istehkam—signal commitment, real progress hinges on filling legislative gaps, reforming enforcement mechanisms, and addressing cultural reverence for arms. Without a comprehensive strategy combining legal reform, social engagement, and intelligent enforcement, de‑weaponization will remain elusive—and Pakistan’s security environment will continue to suffer from an unregulated, lethal armory.
