ISAF arms find way to Pakistani black market

KABUL’s lawless tribal region, a newspaper reported on Saturday.

Despite their high prices, M-16 assault rifles and Berettas — standard weapons for the US army — are selling like hot cakes in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

The Express Tribune quoted arms dealers in Dara Adamkhel as saying the rifles and Beretta 9mm military pistols had been stolen from the US army and its NATO.

“I personally don’t like M-16 assault rifles. They are too complex and have too many small parts; the AK-47 is simple to use, easy to clean and withstands all conditions,” one dealer told the daily.

The weapons, in high demand as they are, have become quite a status symbol for the country’s upper class, according to Siraj Afridi, who said the rich insisted on buying M-16s for their guards.

A Beretta 9mm is available for Rs1.5 lakh a piece an M-16 rifle for Rs5 lakh. The dealer explained: “People only buy an M-16 only if it is a military gun taken from the US Army.”

Beretta handguns are manufactured in Italy but used by the US. Yousaf Afridi, another arms dealer, estimated thousands of M-16s and Berettas had been smuggled into Pakistan.

PAN Monitor/mud