Islamabad: In Pakistan, a country where liquor and alcohol consumption is already banned for Muslims, over a dozen lawmakers including Hindu and Christian prominent faces in the National Assembly Thursday demanded similar kind of restrictions for non-Muslims too.
"Alcohol is strictly forbidden according to the teachings of the Shrimad Baghwat Piran – a Hindu holy book", Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Dr Ramesh Kumar is quoted as saying by The Express Tribune.
He also emphasising that decision makers (MNAs) or other higher-ups in the community are prohibited to drink under any circumstances.
“Sale, production, importation and transportation of alcoholic beverages in Pakistan occurred under the banner of minorities which is strongly offensive and insulting,” Dr Ramesh, who is also patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council, said.
A parliamentary panel had disapproved a bill proposed last month which sought a ban on the distribution of liquor by Christians, Hindus, Jews and Ahmedis in Pakistan.
Dr Ramesh requested Mahmood Bashir Virk, chairman of the National Assembly standing committee, to reconsider the bill, moved by MNA Asiya Nasir, for the best interest of Pakistani society.
“This is the biggest lie that Christianity allows drinking (Alcohol),” Asiya Nasir, a Christian woman parliamentarian, told Onislam.net.
“Like in Islam, alcohol is not allowed in Christianity,” Nasir, who got elected on a reserved seat for women on the ticket of right-wing Jamiat-e- Ulema Islam (JUI) party, said adding that a bulk of the buyers of liquor are Muslims.
“Permits (for sale of liquor) are issued in the names of Christians and Hindus, while the buyers are Muslims,” she added.
“We won’t allow the sale of liquor to Muslims in the name of non-Muslims,” an emotional Asiya said.
Earlier this year, Chairman Council of the Islamic Ideology Muhammad Khan Sherani with fifteen other lawmakers including Dr. Ramesh and Asiya Nasir, moved the bill into Parliament.
“This bill will earn international shame for Pakistan,” Mahmood Bashir Virk said while disapproving the bill.
Interestingly, the bill was rejected by the parliamentary panel amid recurrent news on deaths of about 29 people for consuming toxic wine in different Pakistani districts during the Eid al-Adha holidays.
“I’m saddened and shocked today,” said Nasir after the committee rejected the bill. “I strongly stand by my stance. I will introduce another amended bill before Parliament,” she told The Express Tribune.
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