Non-Muslims: National Assembly body opposes ban on alcohol consumption

A parliamentary panel on Monday opposed ban on drinking alcohol by non-Muslims and deferred debate on the amendment bill for the next meeting due to absence of the mover. The Standing Committee of the National Assembly for Law and Justice opposed the proposal to withdraw an exemption that permits the non-Muslims to consume alcohol in the Islamic Republic.
The constitutional (amendment) bill 2014 was moved by the JUI-F member Asia Nasir. She also moved another bill "The Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace (Amendment) Bill 2014," in parliament that is now under discussion of the committee. The mover of these two bills, Asia Nasir, has failed to show up in the committee; therefore a healthy debate on these bills could not take place.
During the debate, JUI-F member Maulana Mohammad Khan Sherani said that a ban should be placed on provision of alcohol to the non-Muslims as "the consumption of alcohol is banned in all religions". S A Iqbal Qadri, a MQM MNA and member of the committee, said if the government slaps a ban on the consumption of alcohol by the non-Muslims, this would not send a good message to the religious minorities. "The government should not take any such step in haste. There is need to contemplate on the issue thoroughly before making any final decision," he suggested.
Majority of the committee members opposed the proposal, saying the government and parliament should not indulge in these issues. MQM MNA S A Iqbal Qadri said the ban on the consumption and provision of alcohol by the state would be in violation of the Constitution. The Chairman of the NA Committee, Chaudhry Mahmood Bashir Virk, said the government should first make efforts to keep a check on consumption of alcohol by the Muslims that was prohibited in the religion and under the law as well.
"We should first make efforts to control alcohol drinking by Muslims," he said. In another parliamentary committee meeting on Appointment of Chairperson and Members of the National Commission for Human Rights, the members contemplated on the nominations forwarded by the Prime Minister's Office in consultation with the Leader of the Opposition.
The meeting of the committee was held in-camera in the Parliament House. Committee Chairman Senator Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah told Business Recorder after the committee meeting that the details dispatched regarding the nominees were incomplete; therefore the matter is deferred for another meeting. "The nominations dispatched to the committee did not include members from FATA and Balochistan. We will discuss the issue after receiving the nominations," he said.