KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 1

The District Administration Office, Kathmandu, has appealed to all licence holders to submit their arms - both small and large - for safekeeping to the nearest police unit by October 22.

A public notice issued by the DAO today said, "We request all the licence holders to compulsorily submit to the nearest police office the arms obtained by them under the existing laws no later than October 22. Anyone who does not abide by this notice will be liable to legal action." It said the move was aimed to hold the elections of the House of Representatives and Provincial Assembly scheduled for November 20 in a peaceful manner.

This move also aims to curb the potential unauthorised use of licensed weapons to threaten voters.

The DAO said the firearms would be returned to the concerned licence holders after completion of the elections.

Police have been authorised to reach out to the concerned persons to collect licensed firearms and initiate action against them if they are not submitted voluntarily. The government has issued around 34,000 licensed firearms to various persons and organisations across the country to ensure the security of their lives and property.

Kathmandu District Administration Office alone has a record of over 13,322 firearms. Earlier, the Election Commission had issued a directive to the MoHA, urging it to keep licensed arms in the custody of police until the local level polls were over. The licensed weapons are provided by the district administration offices to persons on the basis of risk of security threat to them in accordance with the existing law.

"Anyone who does not abide by this order will be liable to legal action as it could affect the holding of elections in a free and fair manner. The failure to surrender registered firearms shall be considered disobedience to the state and will be dealt with accordingly," stated the notice. Similarly, the DAO has prohibited any person other than security personnel from carrying and using explosives, toxic substances, batons, spears, khukuris, rifles and pistols. The DAO said it was part of security arrangement for the elections as per the instruction of its line ministry.

A version of this article appears in the print on October 2, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.