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Karachi is the capital of Sindh province.
The decision followed the recent abduction and killing of US journalist Daniel Pearl and a sharp increase in sectarian killings.
The decision, however, does not apply to Indian diplomats as New Delhi had closed its consulate in Karachi several years ago.
With a drastic increase in crime, which include abductions, murders and burglaries, the Pakistan government has asked foreign diplomats residing in Karachi to send in their applications for arms licences, Pakistan daily The News quoting official documents reported on Tuesday.
The application for the arms licences is to be routed through the Pakistan foreign and interior ministries, it said adding the decision was taken at a high-level official meeting presided over by Pakistan Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider recently.
In Karachi, sectarian outfits have targeted professionals, mainly doctors and lawyers. So far, about 60 to 80 doctors have been gunned down in Karachi during the last one and half years, The News has said.
The killings have continued despite the ongoing crackdown by the government, it said.
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