ISLAMABAD: The Interior Ministry on Thursday suspended all licenses for automatic weapons of prohibited bores.

Security forces, however, will remain an exception to the newly imposed sanction.

The Interior Ministry also removed the ban on unprohibited weapons with immediate effect.

A deadline of January 31, 2018, has been set to change prohibited weapons with unprohibited weapons. 

Earlier this month, the Cabinet approved a proposal for the regulations of arms licenses for prohibited (automatic) weapons and lifting of a ban on non-prohibited bore arms license.

Only government departments will be allowed to keep automatic weapons, sources told Geo News.

Sources further said that owners of automatic weapons will have the options to convert their weapon to semi-automatic or return it to the government in exchange for Rs 50,000.