Factory made liquor not poisonous: Chawla

Excise minister says licenced wine shops sell only to eligible clients

KARACHI:

Sindh Minister for Excise Mukesh Kumar Chawla on Monday said that the provincial government has not issued any licence for homemade liquor.

Homemade liquor has caused a number of deaths in the past, besides causing permanent disabilities, however, the bottled beverage from the three licenced breweries of the country has never caused such symptoms, he said, replying to a supplementary question by Grand Democratic Alliance MPA Nusrat Sahar Abbasi.

Answering supplementary questions of the members during Question Hour, Chawla said that unlike the indigenously prepared alcohol the liquor produced by registered companies was not poisonous.

He added that the excise department conducted raids whenever sale of homemade or poisonous liquor was reported.

Abbasi further said that Muslim were prohibited to consume alcohol under the law, so why was liquor being sold to Muslims, to which Chawla responded that only non-Muslims were eligible to apply for a licence to buy liquor from any of the government-run Excise Wine Shops.

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Moreover sales of alcohol were prohibited for the under-age and action is taken against wine shops reported to be selling liquor to the minors. He added that under the law, there can be no wine shop near a school.

The Sindh Assembly session began on Monday with an hour's delay under the chairmanship of speaker Agha Siraj Durrani. The session began with prayers for the martyrs and injured of police personnel in Quetta blast. Prayers were also offered for martyrs and injured of Gujranwala passenger van cylinder blast.

The house was presented with the Sindh Workers Welfare Fund Amendment Bill and Sindh Companies Profit Amendment Bill which were referred to the standing committee concerned for further consideration.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 10^th, 2021.