Arms Quetta

Traditionally arms keeping is a sign of prestige and strength in a tribal society. Quetta is inhabited by different tribes, and people keep both simple and sophisticated arms. Arms are displayed on different occasions like marriage, birth of male children, sighting of the moon and sometimes at the occurrence of an earthquake.

At present, there are 23 arms and ammunition dealers in the district. These dealers are authorized to sell non-prohibited arms to licence holders. A licence for a non-prohibited firearm is issued by the Deputy Commissioner while for prohibited arms, a license is issued by the Federal Ministry of Interior. The major types of arms found in the district include (1) China Automatic Rifles (2) TT pistols (3) Kalashnikovs (4) shot guns (5) rocket launchers.

Arms are widely found in the district due to the following reasons.

1. Influx of Afghan refugees. As a result of the Afghan-Russian war, a number of Afghan refugees entered Pakistan in the early 1980s. Many of them brought lethal weapons and sold them to the local people at throw away prices.
2. Intertribal feuds in the surrounding districts have also encouraged arms keeping.
3. A sense of insecurity due to an increasing number of dacoicy and burglaries in the district.

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