Srinagar, February 12, 2018 (PPI-OT): In occupied Kashmir, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) Chairman, Syed Ali Gilani has demanded complete and blanket ban on the use and sale of liquor. Syed Ali Gilani in a statement issued in Srinagar appealed to the religious scholars and ulema to launch sustained campaign against the use of liquor and aware people about its ill-effects on health, society and family relations.
Expressing surprise and dismay over the speech of members in the so-called Kashmir Assembly in which they had said, “Banning the sale of liquor will hit the revenue generation of the territory”, the APHC Chairman termed it totally unjustified. “For, the other four states of India who have completely banned the sale of liquor do not complain of any loss of revenue and even nobody is dying from hunger or poverty,” Gilani said.
He said the liquor is the mother of all evils which does not only cause cancer like disease but also disturbs the social fabric by giving birth to many social evils. “Consumption of alcohol destroys the sacred and holy relations of the society and it has become a major cause of domestic violence in societies”, he added.
He said Kashmir is a Muslim majority territory and the alcohol and its products are totally forbidden for them. “From very first day we opposed the use and sale of liquor in the state but the ruling class has always acted as a hurdle in the way and they have allowed the liquor business and even provided security and perks to those dealing with its trade,” he added.
Gilani said, “In 1978 when the bill was presented in the assembly, we opposed it with logics and reasons and advised them not to pass the bill but the then regime countered my assertions on the plea that its trade is necessary to boost tourism industry.”
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