Court pleaded to put an end to gutka, liquor trade

Law enforcement agencies complicit in illegal, hazardous trade, claims petitioner

HYDERABAD: As law enforcement agencies apparently remain complicit in the illegal and hazardous to health yet pervasive sale of moonshine liquor, mainpuri and gutka, the Sindh High Court has been pleaded to order the termination of the menacing trade.

Rights Now Pakistan (RNP), a non-profit organisation working for human rights, filed the petition at the Hyderabad circuit bench, which, on Friday, put the respondents on notice for the last week of May. RNP's head advocate, Ali Palh submitted the petition, which specifically complained about the trade of such material in Tando Allahyar district.

"Two things appear common in the rural areas: the schools are closed but toxic addictive materials and cheap liquor are being sold openly with support of the police," the petition alleged.



"… our approach to these issues is reactionary. The [government] institutions act only when large number of lives are lost," read the petition, pointing out a March 2016 incident in Tando Muhammad Khan district in which over five dozen people died after consuming moonshine liquor during a Hindu festival.

The petitioner claimed that lax regulatory laws, lack of enforcement thanks to corruption of the law enforcement agencies concerned and collusion of organisations such as the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) with the police are allowing these businesses to grow. Due to these factors, the Sindh government's ban on these materials is not being enforced.

The petitioner prayed to the court to order the law and parliamentary affairs secretary to produce records of the laws or rules that restrict the sale of such addictive material. It also requested the court to order the Sindh director-general of health to submit records of the number of deaths and illnesses caused by this material in recent years.



Through the court, the petitioner also sought details of action taken by the Sindh excise and taxation department and ACE against law enforcement agencies conniving in the illegal trade. The RNP also requested action against the manufacturers, dealers and sellers of these items.

The respondents include the Sindh chief secretary, secretaries of law and parliamentary affairs and excise and taxation departments, ACE chairperson, Sindh IG, Hyderabad DIG, Sindh health director-general and other officials.