Crackdown on illegal weapons launched by Punjab Government against Lacks Self-Accountability Standards

The new initiative of the Punjab government to contain the Spread of Unlawful Weapons has created a lot of heated debate in the province. Although the authorities celebrate the move as a necessity to re-establish peace and enhance law and order, critics see a glaring gap in the strategy the lack of self-accountability Systems in the law enforcers themselves. Any crackdown will not be effective unless there are internal guidelines and control over those who implement the law since it will be Seen as Unfair, uneven and futile.

The Background: Increasing Security Issues Due to Unlawful Weapons

Over the past years, there has been an alarming rate of violent crimes that involve the use of unlicensed guns in Punjab. Such cities as Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, and Gujranwala have had to struggle with shooting cases disclosing profound problems in police work and control of weapons.

• According to government statistics hundreds of rifles and ammunition that have not been registered are recaptured each month.
• But the amount is hardly comparable to the unlawful weapons sold via informal networks and tribal regions.
• The demand of untraceable guns has been enhanced by political jealousies, personal animosity, and organized crime.

With such a problem, the Punjab government declared a new province-wide drive to:

1. Capture guns in the illegal market.
2. Convict offenders.
3. Close the loopholes of arms licenses.

The motive is good, but the implementation is questionable in terms of transparency and self-regulation.

The Crackdown on Unlawful Weapons: Radicalization and Shortcomings

Law-and-Order Narrative of Government Regarding Unlawful Weapons

Government officials underline that the initiative is an ultimate move towards putting a stop to the gun culture and putting to extinction criminal rings that take advantage of lax regulation.

• Mass license checks, surprise raids, and security checkpoints have been implemented in the big city centers.
• Claims by authorities show that thousands of weapons have been arrested.

The top-ranking police officers claim that the campaign demonstrates the determination by the government to provide the citizens with safety and peace.
But there is an uneasy question below all these assurances and that is who will check those who conduct these actions?

Absence of Internal Supervisory Systems in Unlawful Weapons Crackdown

Credibility is essential to every successful enforcement campaign. However, the law enforcement in Punjab has always been affected by the lack of trust by society, due to favoritism, abuse of power, and selective responsibility.

In the absence of clear internal checks, any anti-weapon movement would be considered as politically instigated or one-sided.

The lack of a framework of internal accountability is also very worrying. Citizens are punished harshly when they are caught breaking the law on the use of arms; however, when the law enforcers themselves are suspected of illegally acquiring, unnarrating, or abusing weapons acquired, the cases are frequently dismissed.

Understanding the importance of Self-Accountability in Unlawful Weapons Campaign

Upholding Public Trust

Any crackdown is determined by the level of confidence that the population has on its fairness. The citizens tend to lose trust in the state programs when they observe instances where the politically linked people or certain groups are treated in a lenient manner.

A fear campaign based on collective responsibility hardly has long-term success.

Abuse of Authority Prevention

Power is easy to abuse and convert enforcement to exploitation. Past operation cases of harassment of ordinary citizens or miscarriage of justice and top people escaping prosecution have been unraveled in stories.

Such abuse could be avoided by having a system of internal surveillance, open investigations, and standards of reporting.

Enhancing Institutional Credibility

Respect to law enforcement bodies is not gained by means of intimidation but rather by fairness.

The police can reinforce their institutional Trust by incorporating self-accountability in the form of:

• Periodic audit
• Internal review boards
• Body camera data verification

These are not only Administrative exercises, but they lie at the core of enduring reform.

Present day issues faced in Policing Culture While Controlling Unlawful Weapons

Political Favors and Prejudice

• The police force of Punjab is frequently subjected to huge political pressure.
• Even transfers, promotions, or the results of an investigation may be due to political affiliations instead of merit.
• Such incessant disruption leads to erosion of accountability and selective rule enforcement.

Inadequate Records and Data Integrity

• The absence of a unified and digital database of arms is a significant hindrance to weapon regulation.
• Most arms records are kept on paper, which can be manipulated or lost.
• Without modernization, it is almost impossible to monitor reappearance of weapons in other places.

Obsolete Arms Licensing Procedures

• The current system is full of corruption, with a manual and cumbersome method of issuing or renewing licenses.
• Citizens face long queues or bribe requests, which further encourage illegality.
• With such bureaucracy, the crackdown will not stop the root causes behind illegal possession of arms.

Creating a Framework of Self-Accountability in Unlawful Weapons Operations

To ensure the success of the campaign by the Punjab government, it has to incorporate effective transparency in it. These may comprise the following reforms:

1. Autonomous Oversight Commissions:
   • Introduce external audit commissions of retired judges and civil society to control raids and seizure reports.
2. Transparent Audit Trails:
   • Document all records of seizures (photographs, serial numbers) available to internal management and auditors.
3. Performance-Based Evaluation:
   • Assess police performance through adherence to due process and human rights criteria, not arrest counts.
4. Redressal System of Complaints within the Company:
   • Establish an anonymous reporting system for abuse of authority during the campaign.
5. Periodic Public Briefings:
   • Monthly performance reports and regional data of seized weapons should be made public.

Learning from Other Models of Unlawful Weapons Regulation

• Rwanda: Arms control was successful due to digitalization of data and community policing.
• Indonesia: Reforms introduced civilian-led oversight bodies for transparency.
• United Kingdom: Employs stringent internal audits so every weapon seized is traceable in a central database.

Such models show that nondisclosed enforcement is counterproductive.

The Role of Judiciary and Media

Judicial Oversight

• Courts can ensure drives remain constitutional.
• Judicial oversight prevents police misuse of authority and ensures reasonable enforcement.
• Courts can question the lawfulness of raids and force applied.

Watchdogs of the Media and Civil Society

• The media has the dual role of awareness and watchdog.
• Independent reporters and civic groups monitor abuse and demand transparency.
• The press holds the executive to account, as accountability prevents corruption and bias.

Social Political Effect of the Unlawful Weapons Crackdown

Fear of an Average Citizen

• For law-abiding citizens, the crackdown creates jitters, not relief.
• Random searches and lack of complaint procedures cause fear, especially in rural or marginalized areas

Criminal Networks Adapting

• Smugglers and criminals can adapt faster than expected.
• With increased enforcement, they switch routes or use advanced smuggling methods.
• Without intelligence coordination, the issue persists.

Political Optics

• Crackdowns often have political overtones, used to show toughness on crime before elections.
• The display of seized weapons at press conferences overshadows issues of fairness and sustainability.

The Way Forward: Reform Before Enforcement

The government of Punjab is not misled in its anti-illegal weaponry campaign. It focuses on the critical menace to the population. Nonetheless, its success relies on internal reforms which must come before and go hand in hand with enforcement.

The government ought to:

1. Carry out an independent check-up of the seizures of the past.
2. Implement a computerized licensing and tracking system.
3. Rotate officers in weapon control units to prevent collusion or favouritism.
4. Publicise internal disciplinary action reports.
5. Cooperate with NADRA to reduce arms ownership in real-time.

Responsibility Is the Real Test of Power

It is not just about enforcing the law, but enforcing justice in the system that characterizes good governance.

The anti-illegal weapon campaign by the Punjab government is a chance to not only sweep the streets but also to restructure institutions.

Provided that Punjab sets up the right standards of self-accountability, with open administration, online surveillance, and righteous policing, the province will serve as an example to the rest of the nation.

Without such corrective measures, even the most ambitious crackdown will turn into another optics exercise instead of real reform.

The actual war against unlawful weapons does not occur in the streets only, but it is won in the systems that offer integrity, fairness, and trust.