Decision to open new liquor shops an attack on Kashmir’s cultural ethos, issue a govt order to impose blanket ban on it: Hakeem to JK Govt

Srinagar: Chairman People’s Democratic Front (PDF ) and former minister Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen in a statement on Saturday slammed the Jammu & Kashmir Government over the proposal of Excise department to open new liqor shops in kashmir valley adding that the move is tantamount to destroy cultural and religious ethos of the people besides ruining life and future of the younger generation.
In a statement issued here on Tuesday, Hakeem said that opening of liquor shops in kashmir shall have disastrous implications on the life and moral ethos of the people. ” I have many times in the past, during J&k Assembly proceedings, strongly opposed sale and stocking of liquor shops in the state especially in kashmir valley, known as ” Peere waer ” , said Hakeem while opposing the new government proposal to open liquor shops in various locations of the Kashmir valley. He said even non muslim members of the erstwhile state assembly and religious leaders of both Hindus and Muslim communities have been seeking complete ban on sale of liquor in Jammu and Kashmir. He said reports about government proposal to open liquor shops in muslim dominated areas of the state have outraged the people of the Kashmir, adding that, “a clear government order should be issued , in unambiguous terms , to ban sale and stocking of liquor in the state particularly in Kashmir province”. He said as the sale of liquor is already banned in four states of the county — including Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s native Gujarat state , what was the rationale for opening of liquor sale points in Kashmir, when there is no such demand for it’s consumption. He said liquor was prohibited by almost all faiths and every sane person wants to curb liquor and drug addiction effectively.
Hakeem impressed upon the government to desist from playing with the religious sentiments of the people and issue a proper government order to impose a blanket ban on sale and stocking of liquor in Kashmir.