AJK Weapon Licence Holders Must Register in 10 Days
The Azad Jammu and Kashmir government has ordered every AJK weapon licence holder in the region to register the licence at the nearest police station within 10 days. Any licence left unregistered after the deadline will be treated as cancelled, according to The Express Tribune.
The Home Department issued the notification on Thursday, with the approval of AJK President Iftikhar Gilani. It says the step is needed in the interest of public safety and the maintenance of law and order. The order covers holders of all types of weapon licences, no matter where the licence was issued.
A licence holder who misses the deadline will lose the legal cover for the weapon. Anyone found with a weapon or ammunition and no registered licence will face legal proceedings, which the notification says will invariably end in arrest and confiscation of the weapon.
AJK weapon licence holders face cancellation if they miss the deadline
The warning is plain. The notification states that all licences not registered within 10 days of its publication will be treated as cancelled, regardless of where they were issued. That means a licence issued elsewhere offers no protection in AJK unless it is registered there in time.
The order applies to every category of licence, old or new, issued inside AJK or elsewhere. Holders must present the licence at their nearest police station and have its details recorded.
How registration will work
Station house officers, or officers they nominate, will record the details of each licence presented for registration and issue a registration slip to the holder. The slip will serve as proof that the licence has been registered under the new order.
Police stations must also send daily consolidated lists of registered licences to the relevant deputy commissioners, district magistrates and superintendents of police.
The structure puts the burden on the licence holder to act, and on the police to keep a running record. Holders who wait until the last day risk long queues, and anyone who cannot produce a registration slip after the deadline will have no defence if police find a weapon in their possession.
Order follows months of unrest in the region
The directive comes months after unrest in the region earlier this year left several police personnel and civilians dead and forced the authorities to impose a curfew. The unrest began with protests led by the Jammu and Kashmir Awami Action Committee, which demanded constitutional and governance reforms. Its demands included the abolition of 12 refugee-reserved seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly, an end to privileges for the political elite, and changes to the quota system.
Demonstrations in September and October 2025 grew into clashes with law enforcement, leaving at least nine people dead, including three police officers. The government and the committee later reached an agreement in October covering 12 core and 13 additional points, including the formation of a high-level committee to examine the issue of refugee representation. AJK leaders had sought a peaceful resolution to the crisis before that agreement was reached.
Tensions returned in June, after the AJK government banned the committee and the group called for fresh protests. Clashes in Rawalakot left four law-enforcement personnel dead and more than 20 injured, according to police. The committee disputed the police account and accused security forces of firing on protesters. In the same month, the government declared the committee a proscribed organisation.
A new government took shape in August, when the PML-N formed a government in the region after securing a majority in the AJK elections, with Iftikhar Gilani elected president. The AJK Speaker has since sought consensus on the refugee seats question. Federal ministers have also met the AJK prime minister on development work in the region.
What the order means for licence holders
For ordinary licence holders, the order is a simple administrative task with a hard deadline. They must visit the nearest police station with the licence, have its details recorded, and keep the registration slip safe. The 10-day window leaves little room for delay, and the penalty for missing it is the loss of the licence itself.
The order also sends a wider signal. After a year in which protests, curfews and clashes tested the region’s law and order, the government is tightening control over weapons in civilian hands. The region’s administration has faced questions over public services before, and an inquiry was ordered at an AJK hospital after surgical bandages were left inside a patient for a year.
Holders should not wait for the final day. A registered licence is the only proof that will count once the 10 days are over.
What is the deadline for registering a weapon licence in AJK?
Licence holders have 10 days from the publication of the Home Department notification to register at their nearest police station. Any licence not registered in that time will be treated as cancelled.
Where do licence holders need to register?
At the nearest police station in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The station house officer, or a nominated officer, will record the licence details and issue a registration slip.
Does the order apply to licences issued outside AJK?
Yes. The notification covers holders of all types of weapon licences, irrespective of where they were issued. A licence issued in another province must still be registered in AJK.
What happens to unregistered weapons?
Anyone found possessing a weapon or ammunition without a registered licence will face legal proceedings, which the notification says will invariably result in arrest and confiscation of the weapon.
Why has the AJK government issued this order now?
The Home Department says the measure is in the interest of public safety and the maintenance of law and order. It follows months of unrest in the region, including deadly clashes during protests led by the Jammu and Kashmir Awami Action Committee.
