Officials in Peshawar, Pakistan, have issued a temporary ban on plastic pellet guns in hopes that it will reduce violence in the city.
The ban will prohibit businesses from selling the item during the Muslim festival of Eid that begins July 18, part of an effort to change a culture steeped in terrorism and violence, NBC News reported Wednesday.
“The basic purpose behind the ban on the sale of toy guns is to discourage growing trend of arms and violence among the children,” Deputy Police Commissioner Riaz Khan Mahsud told NBC News.
The city’s most recent high-profile terror attack killed almost 150 schoolchildren in December.
“When children use toy guns in childhood, they don’t hesitate using the real arms when grow up,” said Hameedullah Khan, NBC reported. Mr. Khan is a father of three children.
Roughly 7 million citizens of Peshawar will be subject to the ban.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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