The Punjab government has launched a digital inventory system for arms dealers as part of efforts to curb illegal arms and improve public safety.
Punjab Home Department arranged a workshop to educate arms dealers on registering their inventories through the Punjab Arms License Portal.
More than 350 dealers from across Punjab attended the session, while others joined virtually from the offices of Deputy Commissioners in their respective districts.
According to a Punjab Home Department spokesperson, Additional Secretary Judicial Abdul Rauf, Deputy Secretary Judicial Muhammad Murtaza and officials from the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) trained dealers on using the online portal and uploading their digital inventory records.
The participants were briefed on entering the required information into the system and instructed to register their complete existing stock, along with records of all arms purchases and sales.
Following requests from arms dealers, the Home Department has extended the deadline by 10 days. Dealers must now complete the registration of their existing stock and transaction records by September 6, 2026.
Once the system is fully implemented, the Home Department’s online portal will maintain details of firearms and ammunition held by each dealer, as well as records of their purchase and sale transactions.
The department said that 230 of Punjab’s 413 registered arms dealers have already entered their information into the digital inventory system. Deputy Commissioners across the province are also assisting dealers with the registration process.
The spokesperson said the digital registration initiative is intended to strengthen oversight of arms stocks, prevent illegal purchases and sales, and help reduce crime across Punjab.
Dealers who fail to upload their inventories by the deadline will face legal action. Their licences may be suspended, businesses sealed and fines imposed under the law.
Arms dealers attending the workshop welcomed the initiative and appreciated the training provided by the Home Department. They also called for similar capacity-building sessions to be organised in the future.
