The federal government has cut the issuance of non-prohibited-bore arms licences by more than 90 per cent, with only 5,700 licences issued over the past 13 months under strict criteria, the Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control was informed on Monday.
Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry told the committee, which met under the chairmanship of Senator Faisal Saleem Rehman, that more than 100,000 arms licences had previously been issued every year.
He said a police character certificate is now mandatory to ensure that people with criminal records do not obtain licences.
A parliamentarian’s recommendation is also required, with each National Assembly constituency limited to five recommendations per month.
The minister added that prohibited-bore licences are issued only to entitled persons, including parliamentarians, judges, army and police officers, and recipients of national awards.
Officials said there is no policy for issuing business-category arms licences in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the former Fata. The ministry will brief the committee on the procedure for handling special cases.
On visas for Afghan nationals, Chaudhry said no visa is issued without due diligence and that extensions are granted on a case-by-case basis, mainly on humanitarian grounds for students and those needing medical treatment.
He said around one million Afghans were issued visas over two years when relations with the neighbouring country were normal.
The National Database and Registration Authority informed the committee that Afghan visa applications are processed under 18 categories handled by the Ministry of Interior and four by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, mainly for businesspeople and students. However, delays are caused by security clearances.
Senator Talha Mahmood said there should be some relaxation in visa policy for businessmen and students.
Chaudhry told the committee that 60 per cent of those involved in terrorism incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan were Afghan nationals.
He said Afghanistan is a neighbour, but its intentions are not right.
He added that Afghan nationals were also involved in terrorism incidents in Islamabad and in the murder of trader Aamir.
The committee was also informed that the Federal Investigation Agency does not routinely check passengers’ mobile phones or social media accounts at airports.
An FIA official said only passengers about whom the agency has information regarding human smuggling are checked.
He added that the agency does not check the social media accounts of any passenger.
Chaudhry, without naming any country, said that when he travelled abroad with his family, all of their social media accounts were checked.
The committee was also briefed on an intelligence-based Sindh Police operation in District Shikarpur that led to the recovery of minor girl Huram Saeed Pathan, who was kidnapped from Karachi on March 28, 2026, and another trafficked victim, Jennifer Amir.
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