Plea against liquor sale: SHC orders notices to govt officials

KARACHI:

A division bench of the Sindh High Court on Monday ordered the issuance of notices for an unspecified date in a petition seeking ban on public sale of liquor in Sindh province.

Federal secretaries and narcotics division, Sindh Chief Secretary, provincial secretaries for health, excise and taxation and Inspector General Police of Sindh have been cited as respondents in the petition filed by a local NGO, United Human Rights Commission Pakistan.

Relying on Articles 2 and 2-A of the Constitution, the petitioner submitted that government was bound to bring all laws in conformity with the injunctions of Islam. He maintained that liquor or wine is an alcoholic substance which not only harms the body of an individual but also damages the institution of family and society.

The petitioner stated that in August 2011, 33 persons were killed by consuming country liquor while in October 2011, 17 people died of country liquor in Chanesar Goth Karachi.

The petitioner maintained that although trade and other activities are lawful but there are some activities which could not be allowed at any cost and manufacture, sale particularly to Muslims is prohibited and is a crime under the relevant laws.

The petitioner requested to the court to ban open sale of liquor, to direct the respondent officials to stop trading of liquor, order closure of all wine shops and also to suspend the Prohibition of Liquor Act 1973 and to call details of licences and permits issued for opening wine shops.

The bench after initial hearing ordered its office to issue notices for a date to be fixed later.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 15^th, 2012.