PALMS(Punjab Arms License Management System) signifies the very hand which holds a weapon. PALMS also signifies the hand, fingerprints of which are being captured as part of the registration process. PALMS therefore establishes the link between the two hands which was hitherto missing. Never before a project of computerization and consolidation of arms licenses has been initiated at such a large s
cale and with such a wide spread. Never before interactive data entry, and capturing of biometrics, has been resorted to. Never before a Smart Card, with inbuilt and foolproof security measures, has been introduced as arms license. Never before a dedicated website has been launched for such a project. Never before Law Enforcement Agencies, arms manufacturers as well as dealers, and all other stakeholders have been integrated into a larger Management Information System. Never before license verification by personnel of security agencies has been carried out through SMS. And all this is mere beginning. We surely set new trends and paths for others to follow. The computerization of arms licenses would in fact lead to consolidation of the relevant record and elimination of the wrong doings which might be existing in the system. Henceforth, there would be no room for issuance of fake and forged arms licenses. And above all, it would enable the personnel of the Law Enforcement Agencies, particularly those deployed on check posts and entry/exit points, to verify the authenticity of an arms license then and there by merely sending an sms to a given number. And finally, since the arms dealers, suppliers and manufacturers are being incorporated in the PALMS, every weapon or cartridge sold would be duly recorded in, and shown by, the System. Collectively, PALMS would go a long way in eliminating the spread of illegal weapons in Punjab, thereby reducing violent crimes in the province. A safer Punjab would lead to a stronger Pakistan.
