The Supreme Court of Pakistan has revoked the Sindh High Court’s Oct. 27 order of preventing the sale of alcohol in the province.
According to details, proceedings of the case were heard by a three-member bench headed by Justice Saqib Nisar. The Supreme Court accepted appeals of petitioners and directed all parties to take the case to the Sindh High Court.
Petitions had been filed by Kohistan Wine Shop, Karachi; Azad Wine Shop, Karachi; Mehran Wine Shop, Hyderabad; Arjun Wine Agency, Mirpurkhas; Mazda Trading, Karachi; Master Wine Shop, Sukkur; Sindh Wine Shop, Nawabshah; and Lucky and Company, Karachi.
“The case pertaining to the ban on sale of alcohol by the Sindh High Court should be heard anew and judgment should be passed quickly,” stated the court.
“The Supreme Court is not deciding whether the sale of alcohol is legal or illegal,” said Justice Saqib Nisar. “One should not form the impression that the Supreme Court has allowed consumption of alcohol,” he added.
Justice Saqib Nisar stated that a final decision could not be taken on an interim order.
The petitioners had claimed that they were law abiding citizens of Pakistan and had paid as much as Rs 3 billion in duties last year to the government.
