“I’m saddened and dejected today,” said Christian MNA Asiya Nasir, the mover of the bill. “I strongly stand by my bill. I will bring another amended bill in Parliament,” she told The Express Tribune.
National Assembly Standing Committee on Law and Justice rejected the bill on Tuesday saying, “Such legislation will earn a very bad name for the country.”
A copy of the bill obtained by The Express Tribune.
Speaker National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq referred this bill to the Standing Committee. 16 MNAs, including four non-Muslim MNAs endorsed this bill after it was presented before the Parliament.
COMMENTS (38)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
1714222391-0/BeFunky-collage-(2)1714222391-0-270x192.webp)
1714129906-0/Clint-Eastwood-(1)1714129906-0-270x192.webp)
@raw is war: Read the signatories: 2 are hindus. So yes, the bill speaks for the hindus as well. Not that I go with its rationale.
Constitution of Islamabad republic of Pakistan exist?
True . i wonder who she is trying to impress
&
whats with the islamad republic ????????
somethings fishy
let it be open whats it to them all
"Christian MNA Asiya Nasir" wants to impose alcohol ban on non-muslims. How can she speak for Hindus, Sikhs and Parsees living in Pakistan. They love their alcohol. She must try to impose it on Christians. Rest of non-muslims is not her business.
I guess she wants to impress the majority muslim community- for what, I cant say. (Even Christians need Alcohol in the churches.
This is good work,but we also thinking positive and negative points,,how many income of govt in wisky,govt not income scotch or kachi wisky,this is busniss in under shop n't openly,this is true that hindu and chirstan is using wisky few poeple more muslims
Pakistan should be an alcohol free country because "kachchi sharab" has been the biggest killing liquor for last many decades. Every body knows almost one third people in this country like to use liquor, then why it should be band?
I do not understand this proposed law. Everyone knows (except pehaps some brainwashed Pakistanis) that Jinnah used to drink whisky and eat ham. Logic therefore questions why are laws different for him and different for us?
Islamabad republic of pakistan D:
where is mowlana Fazlur Rehman....why didnt he raised his voice on this issue.....
@Bazil: Very well said
This country has bigger problems to worry about. You can't tell what I can drink or eat. Its my personal choice. MPs better start doing something about REAL problems facing the citizens. Long live Murree Brewery!
@Umer Farooq: dear sir i really appreciate you, you spoke the truth, jeo brother .
Finally this genius found out the real problem with Pakistan and its easy solution! It is another of those cars running on water. Alcohol use by some minorities is the real problem with Pakistan and nothing else!
I guess no one read the copy of the bill above and started commenting anyway. This has less to do with alcohol and more to do with police abusing their power to target minorities and their properties.
Let's have a referendum on this. I say follow the holy middle east formula eg UAE, Oman, Qatar, egypt, lebanon, jordan, syria, iraq, Bahrain (which is the sweet spot for our holiest Saudi brethren)...let's just either ligitimize booze in Pakistan or pick arms against rest of middle east. I don't see any fatwas against these countries. Can someone pls publish the picture of Quaid e Azam enjoying his drink ? How about Mr Bhutto who actually succumbed to mullah pressure and went towards prohibition. Let's see if Mir Shakilurehman s empire has the courage to publish this.
With all of the problems plaguing the country since when did minority access to alcohol climb to the top of the list? This is what they chose to waste their time on? Unbelievable.
Our politicians are NOT politically mature to handle their responsibility and thus indulge in ancient Pakistani Political gimmickry. fools are attempting to make fools of the people. Who will succeeede ?
Most so called muslim parliamentarians consume alcohol so this bill will never be passed.
Why are people so obsessed with stopping others from doing things? Not everyone believes in the same laws and regulations as you. If you don't want to drink, then don't drink. Nobody is forcing you to drink. Why do you have to stop others from doing it? Just live your life and be the best person you feel you can be. If someone else sees life differently from you, it is, frankly, none of your business.
The world is fast progressing, is this all our law makers can focus on.
I suggest we give a Singapore a management contract to run the country for 5 years.
These jokers / mullahs have had more than enough time.
Any one else noticed the end of paragraph 3 in the picture? "Islamabad Republic of Pakistan"
Any Bill that will change the lifestyle or threat the lifestyle of the MPs will be defeated.
The Parliament is only for the parliamentarians. And public is to serve thr Parliamentarians as serfs
Did these 16 MNAs who presented and supported this bill present it as their manifesto during elections? If a person wants to drink, let him drink. State has no authority to stop him unless he is causing disturbance to others.
Our problem is that we take religion collectively, when it is only a personal matter. Just care about your actions NOT the entire country.
Legalize it for all! As Churchill stated, I have taken more good from alcohol than alcohol has taken from me.
If this bill is succeeded then how MUSLIM Parliamentarians and other MUSLIMS get alcohol ???????????????????????????? So this bill never ever go through.
people get killed, murderers go scot free, Mullas abuse children in madaressas, government servants pocket millions in bribes daily, government hospitals lack medical infrastructure and education ministers themselves hold fake degrees... and there's no attentions towards these issues, their top priority is banning alcohol??? I feel agitated and frustrated by these pathetic rulers, they should put in jails for the rest of their lives for wasting the mandate they got from public.
Misleading headline and article as usual by ET.
The article 37(h) states:
"The State shall: (h) prevent the consumption of alcoholic liquor otherwise than for medicinal and, in the case of non-Muslims, religious purposes;"
The MNA's were trying to remove this "Religious purposes" condition here, which makes no sense in the Pakistani context. The general right to consume alcohol by non-muslims is guaranteed through other aspects of the constitution, such as Article 2B (Fifth Ammendment) on the supremacy of the Qur'an and Sunnah:
"Nothing contained in this Article shall affect the personal law, religious freedom, traditions or customs of non-Muslims and their status as citizens."
Although many people, including Muslims, can easily get alcohol, we should discourage its use through public awareness & laws against the use of it. Taxes from these things isn't a concern for common citizens when 30k people are identified by FBR yet they're not being forced to pay taxes! Govt already banned sheesha in Lahore which is an extremely positive step, same goes for alcohol, there should be a ban on it but unfortunately corruption is so rampant. All those pseudo liberals crying out for legalization of such things are just not fully aware of human norms which is protect each other not to destroy in the name of "freedom".
@A. Khan:
Alcohol is always bad and it is better to keep away from it!
It is ironic that some think that this is the real problem in Pakistan today? Why are we chasing our minorities all the time? They have no other rights and are leaving Pakistan in droves but we are more interested in what do they drink? What is the difference between ISIS/TTP rule and our govt rule? There are bigger fish to fry than who is drinking what?
Government should refrain from such laws.Already there is a plethora of laws that are contrary to common sense.Prohibition has never worked whereas it was tried.
banning things doesn't work. only increase the black market and corruption. People ultimately will have to choose if they want to consume alcohol or not.
So much for the Islamic Republic. A non-Muslim MNA brought forward a bill to ban alcohol for Non-muslims and it was rejected by majority Muslim vote. Gets you thinking.
“Such legislation will earn a very bad name for the country.”
More like our Muslim legislators will have a hard time getting their daily booze.
What a country we live in !
whoever is against this bill should be thoroughly investigated and im sure these so called "Muslim" mps will be seen breaking the law themselves.
Saner heads have prevailed!
Just make it legal all around because everyone who wants it already gets it, Hindu, Muslim, & Christian alike. Might as well regulate and profit from it than let the shady dealers fill up their pockets.