Srinagar, March 31 – An organization of Islamic scholars and clerics on Tuesday criticized a legislator from the ruling National Conference (NC) in Jammu and Kashmir for his statement on a proposal to ban the sale of liquor in the Union Territory (UT).
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, spokesperson of Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU), lashed out at the reckless statement made by National Conference MLA and former Justice, Hasnain Masoodi, to reporters outside the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, wherein he justified the sale of liquor in the UT for its revenue benefits.
The spokesperson said that such remarks are deeply unfortunate, given the clear Islamic prohibition on intoxicants, and are fundamentally at odds with the values and beliefs of Islam.
Furthermore, it ignores the serious social consequences that liquor consumption has on families and society, including domestic distress, financial hardship, and moral degradation.
The spokesperson also added that such justification coming from a political party that claims to uphold the ethos, culture, and identity of Kashmir, is both disappointing and disturbing.
The MMU stressed that economic considerations cannot be placed above moral, social, and human well-being, and that justifying liquor on revenue grounds reflects a troubling approach to governance.
Calling it a well-known menace that steadily erodes the moral and social fabric of society, the MMU asked the National Conference to come clean on the matter and immediately take concrete steps towards a complete ban on liquor in Jammu and Kashmir, along with strict punishment for those involved in its smuggling, for the greater interest of society and the future of the UT.
The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly is likely to take up for debate a private member's bill seeking a ban on the sale and purchase of liquor in the UT.
The sale and purchase of liquor has been legal in Jammu and Kashmir since British rule.
