NA proceeding: ‘No sheesha bars in five-star hotels’

Around 37 sheesha cafés were raided and sealed in the city while 47 cases were pending before the courts.

ISLAMABAD: There can be no sheesha bars in five-star hotels or uptown restaurants in the city, Imtiaz Safdar Warraich, minister of state for interior told the National Assembly on Wednesday, replying to a calling attention notice. “Come with me to five-star hotels, I will help you see sheesha,” replied National Assembly Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi who was presiding over the house. Following a brief argument, Kundi formed a committee to further discuss the problem and sort it out. The members of the committee were yet to be named which has also been tasked to investigate the presence of private schools, offices and restaurants in the city’s residential areas. The minister told the house that 37 sheesha cafés were raided and sealed in the city while 47 cases were pending before the courts. He said the implementation of the legislation barring sheesha in public places was not being implemented.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 11^th, 2012.