The Azad Jammu and Kashmir government has extended the deadline for the mandatory registration of firearms held by licensed individuals until November 21, giving licence holders more time to record their weapons with the police.
The Azad Jammu and Kashmir Home Department issued a notification announcing the extension. Under the directive, firearm licence holders must register their weapons at their respective police stations within the revised deadline.
According to the department’s notification dated November 5, 2026, all individuals holding firearm licences in Azad Jammu and Kashmir are required to register their weapons with the relevant police station. The notification warns that individuals found possessing unregistered weapons will face legal action, including immediate arrest and confiscation of their firearms.
Under the original notification, licences that were not registered within ten days were to be treated as cancelled. The extension to November 21 now gives licence holders additional time to complete the process and avoid that consequence.
The Home Department said the registration drive has been introduced as part of efforts to curb the use and supply of illegal weapons across the region. All types of weapons are covered by the directive, regardless of where the licence was issued.
Under the procedure set out in the notification, the station house officer or a nominated representative records the licence details and issues a registration slip to the holder. Verified lists are then sent daily to the deputy commissioner and the superintendent of police concerned.
The scale of the exercise is considerable. According to the Home Department, 13,922 arms licences have been issued in Azad Jammu and Kashmir over the past three years, and all of them fall within the scope of the registration requirement.
Local police stations had already begun implementing the original directive. In Barnala, for example, the station house officer had directed licence holders in the area to complete registration by November 15 under the original ten-day window. The extended deadline now applies across the region.
Authorities have urged all licensed firearm holders to complete the registration process within the revised deadline to avoid legal consequences, including arrest and the confiscation of their weapons.
