Toy guns banned in Peshawar

PESHAWAR, Pakistan, July 8 (UPI) -- The city of Peshawar, Pakistan prohibited Tuesday the sale of toy pellet guns that mimic real-life weapons used by extremist groups.

The toy guns are replicas of weapons such as the AK-47 automatic rifle but fire plastic or rubber pellets instead of bullets.

The city of Peshawar enacted a temporary ban on anyone selling or carrying these guns throughout the Muslim festival of Eid, which begins on July 18.

Under Section 144, police have been instructed to deal strictly with those who do not comply. Parents have favored the ban.

The aim is to discourage children from mimicking the violent acts carried out by terrorist groups, such as the Taliban and al-Qaida, which ravaged the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa of which Peshawar is the regional capital. A December attack on a Peshawar school also left nearly 150 students and others dead.

Furthermore, injuries sustained by children that are hit by rubber pellets may also decline, although authorities do not keep figures on these incidents. Peshawar police said that while the ban will only last through the Eid festival, it may be extended if it proves popular with the public.