KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has directed police and excise authorities to ensure immediate closure of all wine shops across the province with immediate effect.

The concerned authorities including DG Excise and Taxation and Inspector General Sindh Police have been directed to immediate implement court orders.

The SHC last week issued strict orders to the excise and taxation department of Sindh to revoke liquor licenses granted in violation of the Prohibition (Enforcement of Hadd) Order 1979.

A two-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice SHC Syed Sajjad Ali Shah, directed the Director General of the E&T department to ensure within two days issuance of notices to liquor shop owners in connection with cancellation of their licenses.

The decision came after a petition seeking cancellation of the liquor licenses and closure of the shops being operated in Muslim-majority areas.

“The licenses may be issued for manufacture, import, or sale of liquor on the ground that such liquor was required for consumption by non-Muslim citizen of Pakistan as a part of a religious ceremony as per Article 17 of the Prohibition (Enforcement of Hadd) Order 1979,” Shah explained.

DG E&T department submitted that any non-Muslim could purchase 16 bottles of beer and eight bottles of wine in a month. He argued that the non-Muslims could not even consume 10 per cent of the quota as they could not financially afford it.

“The wine shops were being run since long. The license fee was enhanced to Rs700,000 to discourage the opening of wine shops in compliance of the court’s previous order,” maintained the E&T DG.

The excise and taxation department informed the judges that there were 120 liquor shops across the province. Of them, 59 shops are in Karachi including 11 being operated in DHA and Clifton areas.