Close all liquor shops across Sindh today, SHC directs IG

Court also directs cancellation of licenses and formulation of code of conduct for new ones

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Thursday directed the provincial Inspector General (IG) police and Director General Excise Department to shutdown all liquor shops in the province starting today.

The court ordered the IG and DG Excise to implement court orders issued on October 18, revoking all licenses and closing all liquor shops.

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The high court was disposing of two legal petitions, seeking closure of illegal liquor shops in the province. SHC also ordered the authorities to scrutinise requests of fresh licenses before issuing them and formulate a code of conduct in this regard.

IG Sindh directed all DIGs to implement the orders in all districts concerned and submit a compliance report in this regard today. He also directed SSPs issue orders to SHOs to this effect, saying any laxity in this regard will not be tolerated.



Earlier on Wednesday, SHC directed the additional advocate-general to submit a list of wholesalers who operate liquor stores as well as the methodology by which they operate in the province.

SHC Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, who headed the two-judge bench, sought these details by today. The bench was hearing a petition seeking the cancellation of licences granted to ‘wine shops’ in Defence and Clifton.

On October 18, SHC directed the head of the Excise and Taxation Department to begin the process of revoking licences granted to wine shops throughout the province, observing they had been granted illegally.

The petitioner, Shaharyar David, had contended that the shops were operating in Muslim-populated areas without any justification. He had requested the court to direct the excise and taxation department to submit details of the licences granted to liquor shops and cancel them.



Subsequently, the excise department had served show-cause notices to owners of 160 liquor shops, both functional and non-functional, across Sindh.