The ban was imposed under Section 144 CrPC on Monday and has come into effect from Tuesday. According to the notification by Deputy Commissioner Office, Quetta, action will be taken against those displaying or selling the guns. Any shop found violating the directives will be sealed for a month, it added.
When contacted, Deputy Commissioner Aurangzeb Badini said toy guns are harmful for children. He added that at least seven children had lost their eyesight the previous Eid while playing with toy guns.
Badini further said he had made it very clear to the traders in the district that there will be no compromise in terms of the fresh directives. He added that he will continue to discourage the sale of toy guns, saying 'our children should have books in their hands, not guns.' The DC observed that the sale and display of toy guns has had a negative impact on the minds of young children.
This is not the first time when a provincial government has imposed a ban on the sale and use of toy weapons. In May, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government imposed the ban in Peshawar in a bid to curb the influence among the youth.
Balochistan is a restive province and has experienced a spate of violence during the past decades. Insurgents and militants have targeted law enforcers and civilians in the province. Many individuals, including the law enforcement personnel, have lost their lives in the incidents of violence in the province.