Personnel in Karachi to be given pistols in place of automatic weapons

KARACHI: In order to protect the citizens from accidental firing, orders have been issued for police personnel to keep revolvers or pistols instead of submachine guns and automatic weapons they presently carry.

According to Additional IGP Dr Amir Ahmed Shaikh, the personnel deployed on duty do not have sufficient training to use the automatic weapons given to them, which is why there are chances of stray bullets being fired.

This keeps citizens under constant threat of stray bullets, rather than making them feel safe and secure in the presence of police personnel.

The development has been confirmed in a notification issued by Sheikh, as per which it has been observed that display of automatic assault weapons in urban settings is not only scary, but can also result in casualties in case of accidental firing.

The order states that personnel in motorcycle squad will be allowed to keep one pistol or revolver while the ones in police patrolling mobiles, escorts, picket points and Madadgar 15 mobile would be armed with one pistol or revolver and a submachine gun.

The notification also reads that the automatic weapons should not be displayed or pointed towards the public during escort movement or mobile patrolling.