Hakeem condemns statements declaring liquor sale was for tourism promotion.

Srinagar|Feb, 16:- President Peoples Democratic Front (PDF) Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen has strongly condemned recent statements by some political persons that liquor ban in Union Territory of J&K was not possible as the Kashmir being a tourist state.He said encouraging liquor sale in its any manifestation was against the basic tenets of Islam adding that the statements encouraging sale of liquor in Kashmir has severly hurt the religious emotions of the people especially muslim ummah.
In a statement issued on Sunday ,Hakeem Yaseen while condemning statements supportive of sale of liquor in Jammu and Kashmir , has said ” if sale of liquor was possible in Gujrat ,why not in j&k. He said some political persons including spokespersons of a major political party has snow balled the issue of liquor ban in Kashmir by emphasizing that Kashmir is a tourist state and similar practices also do exist in many Arab countries. He said such irresponsible statements have badly hurt religious sentiments of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and they should immediately seek an unconditional apology from the people. He said liqor sale has nothing to do with tourism promotion adding that despite a blanket ban on sale of liqor in Gujrat , Mezoram etc. tourism was thriving there at the best . He alleged that over a period of time , liqor sale in j&k has become a major source of lucarative revenue collection for the successive regimes thereby ignoring the religious sanctity of the Kashmir known as the land of saints and seers – ” peer vear” He said that was the reason that no regime in j&k sine 1947 could afford to ban sale and stocking of liquor, though many a times various legislators brought their resolutions and Bills in this regard in state legislature .